Our Place in the Food Chain
by Commander Argus
Summary: Kim and Ron's Senior Year  Part 1.  A New Hottie, Return to Yamanuchi.  Will their love survive?  The Sequel to It Finally Happened! [Complete!]
1. Part I

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part I**

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_Out there, in here._

The face that said those words was always the same. The mop of unruly blonde hair the color of Nebraska corn, the wide, almost goofy grin, the smattering of dark freckles that would never fade with age…

…the chocolate brown eyes that were so full of love and so full of hope as he said those words.

Those words!

_Out there, in here._

Those words were special to her. They were the both an ending and a beginning. They brought an end to her childhood, to her selfish needs. They were the beginning or true love, the key to an epiphany that few were fortunate enough to even come close to.

Her dream played on in her head, his face, always the same, always there for her. She knew that face had changed, ever so slightly, but it was still the same. It was leaner now and it would look at her from slightly above, where once it had been even with her, very slightly below her. Love, admiration and hope were joined by wisdom in those eyes. She looked into those eyes, lost in them. His face was so beautiful to her now.

She danced with him, looking at his face, watching him as they stepped ever so slowly, the music soft and distant as if it was respecting their privacy. One hand was on her waist, the other on her shoulder while hers were clasped behind his back.

Ron was wearing his father's powder blue tux and she was wearing a shimmering blue gown with a charred and ruined hem. The dance went on and on, their eyes never wavering from each other as they spun alone on a dance floor they could not see.

Slowly he changed. Now he was looking slightly down at her, though he had not moved. He was wearing a dark suit while she was wearing her cream colored dress. His face was leaner now, just as it had become over the course of their long summer together. A slight fuzz had formed on his upper lip where he refused to shave, hoping a mustache would grow there. She smiled inwardly, knowing that very soon she would talk him into shaving it off. Not now, but soon. This night all she could do was look into those brown eyes.

His clothing morphed once more, as did he. Now he was wearing a black tuxedo with a white bowtie. His face was even leaner, more adult looking. He was actually looking down at her now, more than several inches taller. As he leaned over her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her more tightly she could see a satin white yarmulke on the top of his head. That's when she realized that she was now wearing a flowing white dress. Closing her eyes she got lost in his embrace as they danced.

When she opened her eyes again they were no longer alone. Other dancers had joined them. One couple moved closer and she gasped as she realized who they were.

It was Ron, wearing his blue and yellow cheer squad uniform, looking like he did when he was fifteen, short, round faced, hair tousled. He was dancing with a girl in a Middleton High School cheerleader uniform but her back was to her. Not that it mattered, she would have known the wavy platinum blonde mane anywhere.

Another couple danced by. Once again it was Ron, only very slightly older, wearing a white and black sweatshirt. He was dancing with a slight girl with dark brown, nearly jet blackhair and dark skin. Ron had his eyes closed as he danced with her, both hands on her tiny waist.

Kim's eyes moved to the next couple, already knowing what she would see. This time Ron was dressed in black ninja garb, holding his partner close as they swayed to the phantom music playing. She was dressed the same as him, her short, dark hair caught up in a red band. As they turned Kim could see her face, her eyes closed in utter contentment. Much as she wanted to, she could not look away from the young ninjas.

They finally moved away from them, her eyes now falling on another couple. This time it was her dancing with Ron, both of them wearing their Christmas sweaters, Ron once again his taller, older self. Their bodies were crushed together so tightly it looked like they were one person. Her hair was longer, hanging all the way down to her waist. The couple was kissing passionately, moving not so much to the beat of the music as to something in their hearts.

The next couple was them again, only they looked somewhat haggard. Her hair was even longer, as was Ron's. He was sporting a thin but full beard, his hair shaggy, looking like it was almost a month past needed cutting. They were both dressed like something from a medieval fair.

A final couple danced by them. It was Ron once more, older, his hair neatly groomed, his beard trimmed into a neat Vandyke. He was once again wearing a dark suit and of all things he was wearing glasses. The woman he was dancing with looked familiar but she couldn't place her. She had long, very dark brown hair and blue eyes. She wasn't dancing close to him, but he was looking at her with obvious affection. The girl looked like she might be in her mid-twenties while Ron looked much older, though it was clearly still him. It finally dawned on Kim that she was wearing a wedding dress.

The image of the other dancers started to fade, the music becoming more distant. Just as they faded from view, another man cut in, taking the brunette beauty in his arms. He looked a lot like Ron did now, only with reddish-blonde hair. It seemed that he was wearing the same tuxedo that the version of Ron she was dancing with now was wearing.

Then they were all gone. She was once again dancing with Ron, her Ron, the one she knew now. He wasn't wearing a suit or a tux or a ninja gi, he was just Ron, wearing his shabby old jersey over a navy turtleneck. He looked back at her, once again fixing her with his brown eyes.

"Out there…in here." He said softly as he leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes, losing herself in his embrace, feeling the touch of his lips as she responded in kind, her hand grasping the back of his head. His body pressed close to hers and she could feel his warmth mingling with hers, their bodies becoming one in an embrace beyond mere intimacy.

Kim opened her eyes again. She was lying on her side, the warmth her own, pooling around her body under the thick comforter she slept under, even here in the waning days of summer. Her arms were wrapped tight around her Pandaroo, clutching the little plush animal like it was her boyfriend.

The dream quickly faded once more into the back of her mind, the images she had seen lost to her subconscious, leaving her only the memory of the warm, loving embrace she had shared with Ron. She smiled broadly, holding on to the memory of his face, the look in his eyes warming her soul.

That was the look she had seen in his eyes the night before. If was the last day of their summer, the last date before returning to school. Sure, they would spend as much time together as possible, but it wouldn't be like those simple, carefree days where they could meet before breakfast and not part until he went home for the evening, or for the early morning as many of her dates with him had become until last night.

The curfew was back now. This one last summer date had to end by eleven, the evening being, of course, a school night and once the homework started rolling in, that deadline would likely be rolled back to ten, or even earlier as their schoolwork required.

Ron had taken her out dancing. This time instead of a romantic restaurant he had taken her to a club, the dancing much wilder, the music louder and faster, the crowd electric. He made no idle boast when he claimed to be a bon-diggity dancer. A slow dance was one thing. All that required was to hold your partner close and sway to the music. No, while that was wonderful, Ron had put on a show that literally stopped the crowd.

Her guy sure had the funk!

She was almost loath to leave the place, but there were other concerns. They had discussed at length how things would change once school was under way. They would be seniors and while that put them at the top of the most basic social structure where other students were concerned, that also put the greatest expectations on them from their parents and teachers. They had a great burden on them this year. Not only would she have to maintain her performance which, while always at the top of her class, she had give one-hundred fifty percent to achieve, but there was Ron to consider as well. He had finally shown during the last days of his Junior year that he was capable of so much more when he applied himself. Kim was not going to let him waste that effort or his potential. Sure, he had to do it himself, but she was going to help him as much as she could every step of the way.

Their relationship was not going to change, but the way they expressed it had to. There was now work to be done, meaning far, far less time for them to be together. Far less time to hang out, far less time to date…

…far less time to physically show their affection, their love for each other.

So, at the extremely early hour of nine she pulled Ron from the dance floor. Minutes later they were in the front seat of his mother's large car. They had come to an understanding of what would wait until they were fully adults, but everything else was allowed. That meant steaming up the windows of the ancient Pontiac and much roaming hands.

Slowly her eyes focused. It was still completely dark outside and the clock read only five am. The first thought was an extra hour of sleep and the possibility of another post-date dream, maybe even the kind she didn't discuss with him. Then she heard the sound.

She sat up in her bed, looking at her windows. The blinds were up, so she could see the rain pelting the glass. That made her slump down in the bed. She was so looking forward to riding to school on Ron's motorcycle. Now it was either going to be her Mom's mini-van or Ron's Mother's car. The latter was the better option, but still less fun than the bike.

Pulling the covers over her head she scrunched down in the bed. She was wearing Ron's old jersey as a nightshirt so she pulled the collar up to her nose, breathing his faint smell in, hoping for a little more sleep.

Hoping to dream again. Hoping to have the dream she hoped would go the rest of their lives.

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Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	2. Part II

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part II**

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**Ron had been wired all night as if he had been mainlining one of those caffeine filled sports drinks. In fact, he'd only had clear, lemon-lime sodas the evening before, trying to keep his system clear of anything that would keep him jumped up like he was. Not that it mattered, he was wide awake from the moment he tried to lie down to the pre-dawn hours as the clock counted down the minutes with seeming infinite slowness. 

The dancing, the kissing, in fact just about every aspect of last night's date had been almost frantic and it wasn't just on his part. It was something that neither of them wanted to let go and when it was finally over he didn't want it to end. Though they didn't part at her house until well after midnight, he didn't want to come home. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with her, on the couch, on her bed, in the seat of his car, it didn't matter. All that mattered was being with her.

He eventually drifted home after driving around town for almost an hour. So much had changed in the brief three months they had been 'officially' together. Their relationship was deeper, more intense than either would have believed possible before. When he had first confessed his feeling for Kim while tied to a giant Chimirito, he thought he might simply be given the chance to become her boyfriend. He thought there was the possibility of holding hands with her, perhaps even kissing her sometimes in addition to all the things they already did together.

The truth became clear very quickly. The feelings they had for each other were not only real, they were strong, very strong, far stronger than they would have been if they had never met before that night. They had not only opened the floodgates to consuming emotions and physicality, they had completely blown the dam away. So much so they found themselves not discussing chances to sneak off to steal a kiss, but having to have very frank and honest talks about where they would and would not go at this point in their lives.

The last week they had spent almost every waking moment together, to the point Kim's mother just about had to chase him home every night to get at least a little bit of rest. Even then he found himself lying in his bed until the wee hours of the morning, counting the minutes until he could jump out of bed, shower and head for Kim's house. Fortunately for his health, he would often remain deeply asleep until around ten in the morning, his body finally overruling his heart and mind.

That didn't happen this time. He didn't know whether it was the fact he had to be up at six in the morning or that everything was about to change. All he did know was that he spent the entire night staring at his alarm clock, the minutes counting by slowly as though they were openly defying him, mocking him in his misery at being separated from the woman he loved.

_I can't go on thinking like this! KP loves me and she's not going to stop loving me because I can't be with her twenty-four/seven! I've got to keep my head in the game. School comes first now, more than ever!_

As he stared at it, the clock rolled from five-fifty-nine to six o'clock, the buzzer blaring almost insultingly at him. He hopped out of the bed, quickly hitting the off button on the alarm, not wanting to disturb his parents, who often didn't rise until after seven. In moments he was in the shower, scrubbing himself as excitement built to a fever pitch.

Slowly another notion was creeping into his head, one that both appealed to him and frightened him. This year was going to be different from any other. Not only was he going in as the boyfriend of the most beautiful woman in the school, but he was going to be a senior! No more would he be the social outcast, the 'pink sloth' he was once described as. He wasn't going to be a follower any more, he was going to be at the top of the heap, looked up to by others, especially the underclassmen. He would have a place at the Senior Table at last, not just as a guest by shallow creatures like Amelia. It was his place, by right of passage through the first eleven years of school and most importantly, this time he had earned it.

Somehow he had finally found a way to stop being the slacker he had always been. Over the last semester his grades had suddenly turned upwards, the term ending with his singular best performance ever. Where he had gone into the semester in danger of being held back a year, he had instead brought his grades up to the point where he would go into his Senior year without any cloud of doubt whether he should be there.

There had been many factors at work such as the slow approach of maturity but the one thing he thought had the most to do with his newfound success was Kim, not only for her direct help with his schoolwork, but because he had an intense desire to please her. Not even that, but now that they were together, it was his best hope of being with her as much as possible. Now he wasn't thinking just of surviving high school, but going on to college as well and not just any college, but Middleton College.

Three months and ten days together and he already knew in his heart of hearts that they would spend the rest of their lives together. His feelings for her were that intense, that complete. It didn't matter that she was a Blue Fox and he was a Pink Sloth, whatever those titles were supposed to mean. Much as he claimed to discount the Animology quiz two years ago, it still hurt him that it hadn't said Kim was his Soulmate.

She was! He knew she was! That's all that mattered.

One thing he really didn't want to admit to himself was that he really wanted to arrive at school today with Kim on his arm. He wanted to show the world who he, Ron Stoppable, was in love with and was loved by. He wanted every last one of the one thousand plus students to know he had the most bon-diggity girlfriend in the whole school. No, the whole city…the whole planet!

He stood in front of his dresser, seriously stoked. He put on a pair of silk boxers Kim had given him for his birthday earlier in the month. Not that she would know he had them on. What mattered was that he knew (he wasn't considering the possibility that his pants wouldn't fall at some point that day.)

Opening the top drawer he started getting slightly frantic. _Where were they?_ In the last four years he hadn't gone to the first day of school without wearing one. Certainly they weren't all dirty. Leaving the chest of drawers he started rooting through his dirty clothes.

_Think, think, think. I've got four of them. Let's see, one of them is likely in the bottom drawer of Kim's dresser. Okay, Kim asked for one to wear as a night shirt. She's probably wearing it right now. That's two over at her house._

That should still leave him two left.

He slipped on a pair of tan cargos and ran down the stairs to the laundry room, digging through both dirty and clean clothes alike. He couldn't find one! _Where were the other two? When did he last wear one?_ The summer had been relatively hot, so wearing two layers was neither comfortable or wise.

_Let's see_, he was wearing one on Kim's birthday…_Oh snap! _They were called away on a mission on her birthday and they ended up having to spend the night on an island off the coast of North Carolina. Kim made off with another one that night!

That left…last night!

He didn't come home wearing it. Kim had them, all four of his dark red hockey jerseys, his trademark look, an integral part of his essential Ron-ness!

He slumped his shoulders and mounted the stairs back to his room. At least some part of him had spent the night wrapped around her body. Actually, that thought made him smile. Kim had such nice skin. It was warm and smooth, perfect save a few rapidly fading freckles left by a bad sunburn they had gotten at the beach. That led him to thinking about her perfect little nose and pretending he was kissing the freckles right off of it.

Ron glanced at his clock as he got back into his room. It was already six-thirty. Throwing on his blue bowling shirt, he grabbed his leather jacket and raced down the stairs. It still promised to be a rather warm day, being the end of August, but the jacket was there more for safety than anything else. At least with his motorcycle he was getting some use out of it, having stuffed it deep in the closet after the unfortunate 'Zorpox' incident.

He had to smile to himself as he made his way back towards the laundry room. Early last spring his mother made him clean out the garage, a task he managed to complete. Granted, he had to employ a matter-eating self-replicating plasma monster to do it, but in the end they finally had a usable garage once more. Of course, almost overnight other stuff started piling up in there since neither of his parents ever put their cars in there, but he managed to keep enough space clear to park his bike.

The motorcycle had to be the best birthday present ever. It wasn't much to look at, being slightly older than he was, but it was his and it ran pretty good. He knew he wasn't long from buying new tires for it, but it was in fine shape for tooling around Middleton.

He even let Kim drive it alone sometimes. After all, she had a motorcycle endorsement on her license before he did. It would come in handy on missions sometimes, she told him when she revealed that little tidbit to him. He suspected she might have been pushing the bike right up to its limits when she was out joyriding with it, but that was just Kim being Kim.

Donning the jacket, he slipped on the helmet, hitting the button for the garage door. As it rose up into the ceiling his face fell.

Rain was coming down in buckets. It must have been a large storm as the whole sky still looked almost black. Normally this time of year he would have expected some thunder, but he hadn't even bothered looking outside.

As he was hanging his Jacket on the handlebars, prepared to go inside and beg his parents to let him borrow a car a little two-door hatchback rolled up, the driver tooting the horn twice. Ron knew the car well, having once borrowed it for a big date with Kim.

He waved, though he wasn't able to see the driver in the pouring rain. Grabbing the jacket he held it over his head as he made a break for the car, almost forgetting to his the close button on the door.

"Oh, aren't you all hotness in leather." Monique cooed as he shut the door. "Figured you wouldn't be rolling in this monsoon."

"I appreciate it, Monique. I was really looking forward to showing up on the bike, though."

"Ron, you would have been soaked to the bone before you got a hundred feet. Is that any way to show up at your special lady's doorstep the first way of school?"

"No. Like I said, thanks."

"Is that any way to thank your girlfriend's best girlfriend, the first woman you ever saw naked?" She leaned over toward him, making exaggerated puckering motions with her lips."

"Monique! I thought we agreed we'd never speak of that again, or the kiss?"

"I'm just playin' ya, Ron." She put the car in gear and headed for Kim's house.

"You haven't told her about that, have you?"

"What the kiss? Hell no. It wasn't like there was anything behind it. You didn't tell her, did you?"

"No. Like you said, nothin' behind it."

They rode in silence the few minutes it took to get to Kim's. Ron was still embarrassed about the incident, especially since he had a faint notion in the back of his mind, a tickle to his ego that maybe there was something more than the mere curiosity she confessed to that day. If that was true it was like cheating on Kim, something he wouldn't even consider doing.

Not when he had the best girlfriend in the world!

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Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	3. Part III

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part III **

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"Oh Kim! Loverboy is here!" Tim and Jim singsonged as they let Ron and Monique in.

"Good morning Ron, Monique." Anne Possible said, casting a quick look at the twins.

"Morning Mrs. Dr. P. Ron said, peering up the stairs, waiting for the moment when Kim would appear.

"Why don't you go on up there and see if she's ready for breakfast." Kim's mother said. Ron didn't have to be asked twice, mounting the stairs two steps at a time. "Would you like something to eat, Monique? I'm making breakfast Nacos"

"Just some coffee would be nice, Doctor Possible. I already ate with my folks."

Ron hesitated at the bottom of the stairs leading to Kim's loft, having been scorched once for barging into a room unexpectedly. "Kim?"

"Come on up, Baby." She said musically.

She was in a pink bathrobe, toweling the last bit of dampness from her long red hair. She smiled broadly, almost running up to Ron for a big good-morning kiss. The faint scent of lavender and soap almost made his eyes roll back in his head as she kissed him.

"Still trying to be the 'bad boy?'" She asked, playing with the lapels of his jacket.

"Yeah, I was going to ride the bike over and I didn't know it was raining until I opened the garage. Couldn't hear it since Mom and Dad put up those triple pane windows."

"Mmm mmm, tell me you came in your Mother's car." She rubbed her nose against his, still holding on to his lapels.

"Sorry, KP, Monique picked me up, we're riding in her car."

"Snap." She pouted as she picked up a stack of clothes and went behind her privacy screen. Out of habit Ron turned modestly away. Moments later she put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, what do you think?"

He turned around and smiled, drinking in the sight of her from head to toe. "Absolutely badical, but I thought you said you weren't a 'sun-dresser?'"

Kim twirled around once, fluffing out the knee length skirt. "It's not really a sun dress, I just though I'd be a little more feminine this year." The dress was soft pink, highlighting her summer tan. It had a square neckline that was just low enough to show off her entire neck and collarbones. The white sneakers looked very slightly out of place, but sandals or pumps were out of the question in this weather.

Ron could just stand and stare. She was so beautiful. He could count the number of times she wore anything with a skirt (not counting her cheerleader uniform) to school on one hand. In fact, the only time he was positive about was the first day school a year ago when she had worn a dark red mini-skirt. After that it had been back to capris, jeans and sweat pants. Then over the summer she had suddenly taken to wearing them constantly, on almost every date. He loved that a woman as beautiful as her wanted to look even prettier for him.

"Hmmm. Something's wrong." She said, tapping her foot as she looked at Ron.

"My cowlick standing up again?" Ron said, trying to plaster the errant tuft of hair down with his hand.

"Ah, I've got it." She stepped back up to him, once again grabbing the lapels of his jacket, only this time pulling it off, hanging it on the back of her deck chair since it was still slightly damp. Then she proceeded to unbutton his shirt.

"Um, KP, much as I like the thought of being undressed by you, uh, I think breakfast is ready." He said in a shaky voice as she stripped the bowling shirt off, throwing it on the bed.

She smiled at him and went to her dresser. Before he could say another word she pulled a navy turtleneck over his head, followed by another familiar piece of clothing. She gently folded the collar down and smoothed the clothes down on his chest. With a quick ruffle of his unruly hair she was done.

"Now there is the handsome man I fell in love with." She said to a grinning Ron. "We can't break a Middleton High School tradition, now can we?"

"Naw, it'd mean nine months of bad luck."

"Nine months what?" James Timothy Possible asked as he came up the steps into the room. He was eyeing Ron warily, one eyebrow up, his hands going to his hips.

Ron just stood there looking confused, wondering why Kim's father was angry. It was Kim who realized exactly what her father had overheard. He loved and trusted Ron but always had it in the back of his mind the two of them might be taking their relationship too far for their own good as far as he was concerned. The image of the two kids in her room, mentioning nine months…

"Daddy, he's talking about the school year." She put her own hands on her hips, lightly glaring at her father.

"Oh, um, sure. Come on down, kids, breakfast is on the table." She rubbed the back of his neck, turning away quickly to hide his slight blush.

"What was that about?" Ron said, still looking a bit confused.

"Ronnie, think about it. We've been practically joined at the hip for the last three months, We've been together constantly over the last week, a lot of that time in complete privacy, then he overhears you saying 'nine months?' Think about it."

His eyebrows alternated as the gears turned slowly in his head. Then his eyes got wide. "Oh, he though we…I…you."

She just shot him a look that said _uh huh_.

"Go on down, Ronnie. I'm just going to touch up my makeup."

"You look beautiful just the way you are, KP."

She smiled, then gave him another look that clearly said _go! _

"Don't eat everything before I get down there. That goes double for you, Rufus!" she hollered as a little pink head popped out of his cargo pocket.

A tiny squeak that sounded like "Nacos!" drifted up to her as they headed for the kitchen and the breakfast table.

Once she was sure she was alone, Kim opened the second drawer of her nightstand, taking out a small jewelry box. She was sure her father would not understand what she kept in there. Oh, he would know what it is, but he would jump all the way to the worst possible conclusion is he knew she had them. It had been her mother's idea, primarily because it would help clear up the acne that was starting to plague her as she neared her fifteenth birthday and it would even out her cycle which had started about that time as well.

_If it wasn't for that, why would I even bother? _ She asked herself, palming one of the tiny tablets, heading for the bathroom and a glass of water. As she ran the tap into the small glass she wished once more that it had been her eighteenth birthday almost a month ago, not her seventeenth. Her father had nothing to worry about where nine-month periods of time were concerned. That would have to wait at least until both of them were legal adults, much as she sometimes wished she was already there herself. To a girl of seventeen, eleven and a half months seemed like an utter eternity.

They both had been tempted to break that promise, yet standing on the edge, ready to step off they both found themselves frightened. They were in a place where if either of them had made a move, they would have both gone willingly into that next stage, yet neither had been able. Doing so would have meant defying her father, leaving her to either lie to him about it or to come out and say that she had been totally intimate with Ron. Either way it would most likely damage both the relationship with her father and with her boyfriend. That was a thought she just plain could not stand.

She popped the pill in her mouth and chased it with the water. Finally she checked herself in the mirror. Her emerald earrings sparkled, their color matching her eyes perfectly. She pulled the tiny heart shaped locket on the end of her necklace out of her dress, letting it rest on her modest bosom. She had finally taken some pictures and had them reduced, putting them inside. They were taken from her Pre-K class photo the day she met Ron.

By the time she got downstairs he was already well into his breakfast. Monique was sitting across from him, her coffee mug only halfway to her face as she watched, wide eyed as he put an entire breakfast Naco in his mouth.

"Ron, can you for once in your life eat like a human being." Kim scolded as she sat down beside him.

"Sorry, KP, gotta keep ahead of the bottomless pit." He pointed at Rufus who was in the process of devouring a Naco from the inside out.

Kim put one of the last remaining home-made Nacos on her plate, picking a tortilla chip out of it with her fork.

"You calling Rufus a bottomless pit? Ron, you've got some serious PKB issues." Monique said, sipping her coffee.

Ron just wagged his eyebrows, taking the last one from the tray and chomping over half of it.

"What, you already know what that means?" She asked, confused they didn't need a translation for 'Monique-speak.'

"Pot, Kettle, Black." Ron said, his mouth still full.

"Ron learning Monique-Speak? I don't know if that's spankin' or just wrong." Kim said between bites of her breakfast.

"Maybe Dude-boy and I are finally getting on the same page." She said, smiling at Ron, who suddenly started choking slightly on the last bite of his food.

Kim patted him on the back, letting her hand linger there. "You okay, honey?"

"Yeah." He said, swallowing the last of it. "One of the chips went the wrong way." He shot Monique a quick glance, narrowing his eyes for half a second.

"We'd better hit it. Assembly's not until eight, but I want a good parking space in the Senior lot before they all get gone." Monique said.

Ron ran back upstairs and grabbed his jacket and backpack. "Kim! Do you need a jacket or something?"

"Get the pink raincoat! It's in the hall closet!" She shouted up at him, slipping her own pack back off so she could put on the coat."

It was still pouring rain, seven-fifteen looking more like six. Even with the sun up, the storm was so heavy they couldn't even tell where it was. Kim and Monique flipped up their hoods and Ron pulled his jacket up over his head as the three made a break for her car.

Monique watched with interest as the two squeezed into the back seat. "Nobody's calling shotgun?" She said as she slipped into the driver's seat.

There was no answer. The moment the door closed their lips had met, their arms around each other's waists. The tiny space in the back of the small car didn't seem to matter to them

"Did you bring enough of that to share with the whole class, Mister Stoppable?" Monique said as she pulled out of the driveway.

Ron just leaned forward, planting a big kiss right on her cheek. "Happy now."

Monique just laughed, looking in her rearview mirror at the two lovers cuddling in the back of her car.

As they left the subdivision, Kim pulled a small package out of her backpack. "Here, an end-of-summer present."

"Kim, I didn't get you anything." He said, accepting the gift.

"So not the drama. Go on, open it. It's really more from Wade than from me, though I told him to make it."

Ron suddenly had an inkling what it might be. He ripped the pastel paper off and opened the small cardboard box. The shape was familiar, but it was slightly smaller and only about half as thick as he was expecting. The outer casing was a dark chromed pewter color instead of the familiar greenish blue. Otherwise it was completely the same as Kim's, the same buttons, the same red multi-media pickup at the top. He hit the on button and instead of a KP logo, a cartoon picture of a Naco appeared.

"Wow, my own Kimmunicator, finally." He said, giving Kim another kiss.

"Correction…Ronnunicator." She smiled at him.

"Cool…but kind of weird sounding." He said, also getting the strangest feeling he had heard something like that before. "Maybe we should just call it a Communicator."

"Okay." She reached into her bag and pulled out another new one. This time it was the more familiar color, though it was slightly more metallic looking. "Wade finally redesigned the whole thing. It's got a lot more built in function, so if we get cut off from the satellite feed they're not completely useless. He calls these Kimmunicator Mark 2.0."

"Booyah! He said, stuffing the device into his empty cargo pocket, opposite Rufus.

She looked out the window. The school could be seen in the distance, just past the car dealership. "Not much time left. The moment we get out of this car, summer's over." Kim warned.

Ron got her meaning, leaving Monique to roll her eyes as her friends made out in the back seat of her car.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	4. Part IV

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part IV**

**

* * *

**The Senior assembly started out precisely as everyone had envisioned: Steve Barkin…barking. 

"Alright people, listen up!" He surveyed the crowd, trying to separate faces of returning students from the new ones. He had been over the files of the new transfers and had studied the Junior photos paper clipped to each one. There was no telling how their appearances may have changed, but he was happy to be able to pick out most of them. His disciplined, military mind was trained to keep track of many things, that included knowing the names of all the students he was in charge of. He already knew the ones who were returning, that left the new ones.

It was all he could do to keep from smiling as he spotted two particular students in the front row, sitting as close together as they could considering the permanently affixed arm rests, strategically positioned to keep students from holding hands or snuggling in the auditorium seats. Seeing the two of them together was nothing new. Unless they had separate classes they were always together anyway but he could still see the difference. Their shoulders couldn't be more than a centimeter apart. If it hadn't been for the divider they would most likely have been holding hands, the one and only Public Display of Affection, or PDA that wasn't specifically proscribed in the student handbook. That was fine with him, since that meant their hands were out where he could see them instead of other…places.

Seeing Possible and Stoppable together actually made him quite happy. That meant the girl finally opened her eyes, or that the boy had finally gotten the stones to tell her how he felt, or both. All he knew was what he saw those last few weeks of school and the magnificent performance Stoppable had put in there at the finals. On the outside he was a gruff, strict former military officer, but inside he was a secret romantic. He knew the pair completed each other and that pleased the softer side of him.

Then again he would have to keep a very close eye on those two. He was never one to put too much stock in rumor, but sometimes that was the only way to keep up with all the social goings-on that plagued schools, especially one the size of Middleton. He knew quite well that the normally hyper-involved Possible had virtually disappeared during the summer, obviously spending as much time with her new boyfriend as she could, to the detriment of the clubs and organizations she normally participated in. Whether that carried on into the new school year he would have to see. If so he felt it was his duty to point this out to her. While he thought her dawn-to-dusk involvement in just about every civic club imaginable was way overdone, it would be quite the shame if she traded all of that for time with the boy, his new-found grudging respect notwithstanding.

"Welcome back to Middleton High School, Class of Two Thousand Six, or at least a good many of you will have the guts and determination to complete this school year. I see lots of familiar faces today, as well as a few others who I will come to know in the next few months.

"First and foremost, we're all here to see that you get an education. In order to do that, we are going to have discipline. This is not a party. This is not day care. This is a place of work, just like the places many of you who don't have what it takes to get into college will go to when this school year is done…just like some of you who have some real gumption already go to when the day is done.

"There are some new rules that have been added to the student handbook this term. Your parents have all been mailed copies and you will all be given your own once you go to your first period classes. I want each and every one of you to read them cover to cover. You are responsible for knowing these rules and expectations. Ignorance is not an excuse.

"In particular there are two new rules you should pay particular attention to. First off I know a few of you are aware the school board has implemented a new policy concerning cell phones and pagers. Like I said, this is a place for learning, not for chatting with your friends." His eyes found Bonnie Rockwaller, fixing her with his gaze. "While I personally feel all such devices should be left at home, more sensitive types have decided for your safety you should have some means of communication on your person if you so wish. Be that as it may, all cell phones, beepers, pagers, walkie-talkies, video phones…" His eyes locked with Possibles as he said that. He hoped his expression conveyed 'we need to talk' to the young woman. "…and any other of communicator must be turned off and remain powered down unless it is a real emergency."

There was a collective groan from the Seniors, followed by a few minutes of clicks and beeps as more than ninety percent of them shut their assorted devices off. He risked one more look at Possible, who was quite visibly frowning.

"From this point on, if a phone rings between first period bell and seventh, it will be confiscated by school personnel and returned to you at the end of the school _year_."

He waited until the last of the phone chatter died down before continuing.

"The second major change to the rules involves the safety of every student. Unlike the past where Seniors have been allowed to leave campus for lunch or for…other reasons." He again looked at Possible. "…this will no longer be permitted. Once you arrive on school property you may not leave again until dismissed by the proper authorities, that meaning either myself, Assistant Principal Smithers or the new principal herself."

That brought more than a few groans. One of the biggest perks of being a Senior had been ripped away from them.

Possible and Stoppable were looking decidedly uncomfortable. It seemed as if both of the new rules had been written deliberately to stymie their 'extra-curricular' activities. In fact he knew the truth, both were simply responses to real-world concerns. With the rise of crime and other dangers, allowing students to leave and return to campus almost at will, no matter the reason, was simply not safe any longer. The phone policy itself had come about when the Superintendent of Schools toured this very campus last spring and had seen almost every student yakking on their phones, both in and out of class.

He smiled grimly. Everyone had paid attention to the privileges they were losing, not to the very last thing he said. _Typical,_ he thought. Let them find out on their own. She wouldn't be here until next week, leaving him the de facto Assistant Principal in charge until then.

* * *

The two teenagers looked uncomfortable and upset as Steve Barkin crossed the floor of his office, taking a seat behind his plain metal desk. Their chairs were set just far enough apart the two couldn't comfortably remain in contact. Not that their particular brand of affection bothered him all that much. Possible and Stoppable were, by his standards, pretty decent kids, at least as far as he had seen on campus, the 'underwear incident' last spring notwithstanding. He was sure they would be the last couple he would catch in a janitor's closet or under the bleachers, doing things best left for adults in their homes or hotel rooms. _Oh well, there's a time and a place._

"Possible, should I assume you're here to ask me about your communication device?"

She sheepishly nodded under his gaze.

"Was I perhaps not clear enough at the assembly?"

"Yes, but I thought…"

"You thought what, that you're some special case? All the same rules apply to you as they do Stoppable or any other student in this school. I'm sorry, but your device has to remain turned off during the school day. No exceptions."

"Then how is Wade supposed to reach me if there's an emergency?"

"And just what would happen then, Possible? Your little thing will go off and everyone around you will know it, they'll know there's something special, different about you, something that makes you above the rules, above the law.

"I sympathize with you. The whole world owes you a debt of gratitude for what you did last spring. For all I know the two of you may have saved the world again this summer. Don't know, don't care at the moment. If it makes you feel better, I argued your case with the new principal, but she firmly rejected the appeal.

"As for emergencies…" he reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a card, "…give this to Load. If the problem is severe enough he can call me, beep me, if he wants to reach you. That way you can satisfy both the new regulations. If I deem the case warrants, I will authorize your departure.

"Am I understood?"

"Yes sir." Both teens intoned.

"Good. I know you two do good and this sounds unfair, but life is unfair. Get used to it.

"The good news is that your little computer buddy can still reach you at the computer in your locker. I took the liberty of assigning you two side-by side lockers in the Senior hall. Load came by personally to supervise the refit and I think you will be pleased." He took two pieces of paper off his desk, scribbling on them briefly. "Here's a hall pass. I wouldn't want to have both of you already one-third of your way to detention on the first day of school."

He watched the two of them go, their hands joining the moment they passed his door. He hated doing that to them, but the new administration had left him no choice.

Funny both of them still didn't think to ask about the new principal.

* * *

Ron's eyes lit up as he spotted Kim right outside the cafeteria. Three hours of mind-numbing classes where nothing of real value except endless repetition of expectations and rules was discussed was telling on him, as was his lack of real sleep over the last day and a half. All he wanted to do was find a nice soft couch and curl up with her to get forty winks. At least Kim was in all his classes the second half of the day 

The first half, even though he made great strides the latter half of his junior year, was well beyond him. Kim was taking "Advanced Placement" English, Calculus and Physics, all courses that would actually give her college credit, giving her a small jump on the difficult curriculum she was planning next year at college.

At least they would share their misery in History, Latin II and their first semester elective, 'Introduction to Political Science.' The last scared him senseless, but Kim insisted she had to take it. Being an elective, it was a pass/fail class, so he figured he could at least survive it. By second semester they would be down to only two classes together unless Kim changed her mind and signed up for Home Economics II, or as it was officially designated 'Introduction to Advanced Culinary Arts.' It was being taught by one of the new Johnson & Wales professors from Middleton College and he hoped it would be a springboard to landing a spot in that prestigious program.

Kim took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. The 'hand-hug' was a PDA policy approved stand-in for an actual kiss. She literally had to fight down the urge to give him a kiss and could easily tell he was waging the same war with his habits as well. Once they were comfortable in these halls again, maybe they would find chances for a quick hug or a stolen kiss but here on the first day they didn't want to chance running afoul of the new administration (or the old, as Barkin was in line for lunch already, glowering at the milling students as he waited his turn.)

Ron's grin almost tripled in size as he saw the menu for the day…"Triple-cheese Pizza!" He immediately started heading for the line, his mouth already watering at the prospect of downing a whole pie's worth of slices. It may have been 'cardboard caf' pizza, but cheese on cardboard was cheese after all.

He got all of two steps before Kim stopped him, his hand held fast in hers. "Come on, Kim, before it all gets gobbled up. I so don't want to get stuck with mystery meat the first day back."

"We're not eating that garbage this year." She said resolutely. "I've already got our lunch taken care of."

He looked at her in utter dismay. "But Rufus, he's got to have his daily allowance of cheese!"

"Hrk, Cheese!" He agreed, sticking his head out of Ron's pocket.

"I've got Rufus taken care of." She took his other hand and looked him in the eye. "Look, Honey, I love you and that means I care about you. I want you around from now on, and if I'm going to get that you're going to have to change some things. If you keep eating like that and sitting in front of the TV all the time, you're going to be gone before we even have a chance to get our kids in college." She stopped, letting that sink in.

"K, k, kids?"

"Okay, I said that to get your attention, I'm sorry, but we've both said we're in this together for the long haul. That might mean kids somewhere down the road, but I don't want to spend our forties taking you to the hospital every couple years for a bypass. Since today is the first day of school, it's the perfect time to start being healthy." She leaned as close to him as she dared without drawing Barkin's attention. "I want to grow old with you, Ronald Eugene Stoppable, but I don't want that getting old to come too fast." She whispered.

She led him to the Senior table and reached into her pack, withdrawing two sandwiches and a hunk of cheese. Rufus didn't wait to be asked, plowing into the latter with his usual gusto.

"Uh, what is it?" Ron asked, eyeing the food warily. The bread was dark and rounded instead of the usual square 'Wonder Bread' type slices.

"Don't worry, Mom made these, not me."

"Whew." He said, earning a soft kick under the table.

"Low-fat, low-carb pumpernickel, low fat Swiss and low-fat turkey pastrami, with brown mustard instead of mayo. Now eat, you need your energy for the rest of the day."

"No…haff…bob." He said, his mouth still full. He swallowed and repeated himself "Not half bad. Doesn't taste a thing like real pastrami, but good anyway." He still cast a longing glance at the line.

Something caught his eye. One moment he saw the usual gray-haired lunch lady standing there, passing out the gray goop that passed for food here. The pizza was already gone and he had to admit the sandwich was better than that gorchy mess, but that's not what drew his eye.

For a moment the lady behind the line looked different. She was shorter, a little wider, looking much more Asian. Instead of a black hair net she had a red and white checkered kerchief tied on her head do-rag style. He blinked and looked again and she was gone, the usual worker in her normal place. Try as he could he could no longer see the Asian lady.

Where had he seen her before?

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	5. Part V

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part V**

**

* * *

**

"Ug, I thought that class would go on forever." Kim said as they filed out of the seventh and final period of the day.

Ron was close behind, his books tucked under one arm. "Hey Kim, where're ya going?" he said as she turned left unexpectedly.

"Oh, right, forgot we've got lockers in Senior Hall now. My bad."

"No problema, señorita Pah-see-blay." He said, strutting out in front of her.

"What's into you." She laughed, her books clutched to her breast as they walked.

"Did you notice anything unusual about today, anything at all?"

"Well, you didn't fall asleep during assembly, and you didn't fall asleep in that snore-fest."

"Nah, that's not it. I'm gonna sleep like a baby tonight. Who haven't we seen except for lunch today? Why are we on our way to our lockers to put these books away instead of hauling the whole pile home for six straight hours of homework?"

"Ron, it's the first day and I did get a couple assignments."

"S'ha, and I bet you've already done them."

"S'ha. How else am I going to reward my spankin boyfriend for a successful first day of school?"

He wagged his eyebrows. "I like how you think, Kimberly. But you're still missing the point. We're both done with our homework before we leave because…" He opened his arms and his eyes wide, expecting Kim to get it finally."

She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes going wide. "Oh my lord…we didn't have Barkin for…anything."

"Isn't it cool? If he'd been in there, he would have just hit the ground running and started teaching, not to mention handing me three or four extra assignments before I could get away. As it is, all these new teachers could do was pass out syllabuses."

"Syllabi." Kim corrected.

"Those too. This is so badical! After the meeting we can head straight home and I can give you a fresh dose of Ron-shi…"

Kim grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Meeting? What meeting? Cheer practice doesn't start until Wednesday."

"Uh, the steering committee for Spirit Week. The sign up sheet said the first meeting was today?"

"Um, Ron, I was sort of planning to _steer clear_ of the _steering_ committee this year."

He turned and looked at her like tentacles had suddenly sprung from her head, circling her slowly, looking her up and down. "Well, she looks like KP." He leaned in close. "Yeah, lavender, she smells like KP." Finally he gently poked her right above her belly button. "Feels like her too, but that may take extra study." He started poking her again, to have his finger lightly batted away.

"Ron, I was just taking your advice and slowing down a bit. You know, so we could have some more time together. School's going to gobble up enough as it is."

"Well, that's why I signed up this year. I'm going to do some of those activities with you. Don't have the foggiest notion what we're going to be doing, but at least we can do it together."

Kim just stood her ground, dumbfounded. "Ron, I'm telling you, I didn't sign up for…you signed me up, didn't you?"

"S'ha!"

"Ron, what have I told you about that? After the talent show…"

"Kim I just figured I was saving you some time, you're always on the dance committee. You don't want Bonnie taking over, do you?"

"I so don't care about Bonnie any more. She spiked herself good there last spring, I don't need to compete with her like that any more."

"Oh, I'll believe that when I see it."

They finally arrived at their lockers. Just as Barkin had said, they were side-by side, though they were much bigger than the underclassmen's lockers they had been using the last three years. They were longer, wider and deeper than the over-under design they were used to. A quick check of their assignment slips confirmed what they had expected. The special locks Wade designed for them had been transferred to the new lockers. In moments they had each one open.

"Wow, that would almost be comfortable if the D-hall bullies tried to stuff me in one of these." He said, nosing around in the voluminous empty space. He immediately dumped his books, as well as most of the contents of his backpack inside, shutting the door quickly, ready to leave it all behind for the next fifteen hours. As he closed the door, he noticed Kim staring in shock.

The big CRT monitor wasn't there. For the last three years her locker had been almost completely filled with Wade's computer setup. Now she actually had more open space than if she had a normal, empty locker all that time but that's not what was most shocking.

The printer and the keyboard were there. Both looked brand new, the latter being the 'split' design meant to make typing more comfortable. The printer was a slim-design laser type, built all of stainless steel.

Only there was no monitor and if there was a CPU, she certainly didn't see it. She almost had her Kimmunicator out when a flat-panel monitor dropped down from the top, Wade's face appearing on it. A tiny red multi-media pickup was mounted to the top of the screen, making it look like a large version of the hand-held.

"What'dya think?" He asked, slurping his ever-present soda.

"Spankin, Wade. For the first time since Middle School I've actually got a locker!"

"Not only that, but now it's got a dedicated T1 line as well as charging docks for your Kimmunicators…or whatever Ron decides to call his."

"Going with Kimmunicator. Gotta dance with them that brung ya."

"Cool. I put a charging dock in your locker too, Ron. Didn't know if you two had shared the combos."

"Ron's known mine for a while." Kim glared at her boyfriend, recalling all the times he'd burned up all the paper and/or toner in her printer running off cheat codes for some game or another. "One of these days he's going to spill about exactly _how_ he knows."

Ron took that moment to inspect the stains in the ceiling tile directly above them.

"I heard about the cell-phone ban. Bummer." Their tech guru said, slurping the bottom of his drink. "I'm not exactly looking forward to going through Barkin every time something comes up."

"I know. I'm going to put in a call to Dr. Director later about it, see if I can get some kind of exception. Barkin said he pled our on our behalf and the board turned him down. Guess we're just going to have to play it by ear."

Ron's eyes lit up at Kim's last phrase, slipping up behind her and nuzzling her right ear (considering the left one was almost always buried in her hair.)

"Ewwwwwwww, Ron, I just ate." Wade made a face like the cooties were going to crawl right through the dedicated line to his system.

"We'll catch you later, Wade. At least I can switch back on now the last bell's rung."

"I'll call you, beep you, you know."

"You rock Wade." Kim shut the door and gave the lock a quick spin. "Alright, Mister I-can-do-anything-you-can-do. Let's get this meeting over with, I've got a nice interesting afternoon planned."

"Booyah." He said softly, falling in step right behind her. From back there he didn't see her rolling her eyes.

* * *

Both of them were now on the floor, their limbs entwined, their breathing heavy. Sweat glistened on bare skin as their 'interesting afternoon' wore on.

"This is so not what I had in mind." Ron said, grabbing Kim's arms as she straddled him.

"Come on, Ron, get your head in the game. Your position is all wrong. It's not going to work.

He tried thrusting his body up into hers, only to be forced back down. "Told ya." She said, grinning down at him.

About that moment the door opened, admitting Kim's mother, still wearing her white lab coat from work.

"Hi Mom." Kim said, still straddling Ron.

"Hi Mrs. Dr. P." Ron said.

"I'm making meatloaf tonight, you want to stay for dinner, Ron?"

"Sure thing Dr. P."

Kim finally let him up. "Okay, any other time if Mom or Dad had walked in on us and we were in that position…"

"Uh yeah." Ron replied, brushing his white gi off.

Kim checked her belt and started circling Ron again. They had a mat out of the floor of the garage for the first day of his 'official' training. In reality all she had done was tell him to attack her, and so he tried.

"Ah, wah, zoop!" Ron screamed, holding his arms at crazy angles, trying to will his mystical monkey power into existence. In three tries Kim had managed to pin him to the ground each time. Ron knew she was holding back on him, but he hoped he could at least get one fall in."

He charged her once more, a lopsided grin forming on his face. This time, instead of attacking with his hands he simply dropped to the floor, grabbing his knees and rolling right into her legs like a ball. The move was so unorthodox (and silly) it took her completely by surprise. Next thing she knew she was on her back, her arms pinned to the mat, Ron in exactly the same position she had been in minutes earlier.

"Hah, as the winner of this round, I claim my prize."

"It better not be what I think it is, Ronald." Kim's father said as the garage door rose."

"Ah, ha, aha." Ron said, tugging at his collar.

"Like I said, it's Kim's turn to pick up Bueno Nacho."

"Nice try there Ronald. Now would you mind getting off my daughter so I can pull the car in?"

"Sure thing Dr. P." He grabbed Kim by the wrist and pulled her up and they both rolled the mat back up.

Kim's mother stuck her head back in the door. "Why don't you kids go ahead and get cleaned up, supper won't be too long.

James sat down at the table, picking up his paper.

"I thought you were going to have a heart attack when you saw Ron pinning her." Anne said, checking the oven.

"If they hadn't been wearing the kung fu outfits, I'd probably be setting up a crew change at the space station by now." He said, flipping through the pages.

"I think he was just going to steal a kiss. It's a shame you walked in when you did."

"Kimmie-cub gets plenty of time to kiss Ronald. We sure…"

"You'd better not say anything about kissing when you were that age, Doctor Kissy face."

"Well, maybe that's what's bugging me. I remember what I was like when I was seventeen."

"Yet you turned out okay. Honey, relax. Kim's just trying to teach Ron to be a better fighter, she's also making him eat better."

James just sighed. He didn't say what was really bugging him. Much as he liked, even loved Ronald the two of them didn't act like high-school sweethearts…

…they acted like they had been married for years.

* * *

Ron was lying across Kim's bed when she got out of the shower, his hair still damp. He was already back in his familiar cloths, flipping through some of her magazines. "Hey, KP, I thought you called and had them cancel _Villain's Digest_."

She went behind her screen and finished toweling off her hair, letting it hang damp down her back as she slipped into a royal blue tank and some denim shorts, plopping down beside him on the bed.

"Nah, didn't bother. You never know when something will pop up in there that's handy." She put a hand on his back, rubbing it in circles. "Now, what was the prize you were going to claim?"

He leaned over toward her and they kissed. Only their lips touched but it lingered for many minutes, their tongues on a mission to explore the other's mouth.

"Mmmm. Remind me to torture you later to find out exactly where you learned to kiss." She said, hooking a finger through his middle belt loop.

"Well, there's one thing you can do that would make me tell you." With that he started nibbling on her ear until she pulled away giggling.

"You had your chance last summer, buster." She said, jerking his belt side to side.

He whispered in her ear. "It's quit raining, maybe I'll go home, get the bike and we can ride up Logging Camp Road and we can whisper secrets to each other and…oops, maybe lose parts of our clothes."

"Yeah, your pants falling down." She gave him one more quick kiss. "Love you, Ronnie."

"Love you, KP. It's gonna hit the fan tomorrow, isn't it."

"Oh yeah." She agreed, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	6. Part VI

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part VI**

**

* * *

**

Kim smiled to herself as she transferred her books from her locker to her bag. If the first day of school was an omen, then she was off to a bon-diggity school year. Her smile got even wider when she realized she was actually starting to think in Ron-speak. That kind of thought would have spooked her once upon a time, back when he was just 'best-friend' Ron. He was just plain weird then and weirdness was not something 'The Kim Possible' wanted rubbing off on her.

_Weird_ how some things change.

Ron never managed to make it home to get his bike and they never managed to sneak off to spend their unclaimed 'homework time' making out. Oh, there had been some kissing but it was only the kind that made her mother grin and her father tug at his collar slightly in embarrassment. Oh and it also grossed her brothers out to no end as they wandered by from time to time, spying the quick little pecks they kept giving each other.

After dinner Kim just sat in the dining room with her parents, leaning on one fist watching Ron in the family room, cavorting with the twins, hooting and screaming at the widescreen as Steel Toe gave Pain King his customary drubbing.

"It's not all about the hugging and kissing, is it Kimmie-cub?" Her father asked over the top of his paper after looking at the three boys in the other room.

She looked back at her father, a touch of confusion on her face. _I wonder if Mom fed him that line_ she thought. She got her answer in the form of a wry smile on the older woman's face as she sipped the last of her tea.

Kim sighed, sitting back in her chair. The Tweebs had wrestled Ron to the floor and were in the process of giving him noogies. It didn't matter to that pair that the older boy was actually kind of dangerous in his own right. He may scream a lot and prefer running away, but he was actually quite skillful when it came to hand to hand fighting, and that wasn't even considering when he could access his Mystical Monkey Power. When they had been warming up for their sparring match she put him through a Tai Chi routine and instead of being clumsy or cracking jokes about it he mimicked her moves with a fluid grace she had never seen him use. It was an incredibly strange thing for her to watch. _I wonder what they actually did teach him that week in Japan. How much can one person actually learn in a week?_

Ron wasn't faring too well against her brothers. Every time he tried to roll away they pinned him with another hold. Maybe 'Ninja' Ron wasn't a match for tag-team Tweebs after all.

"You seem awfully happy for somebody who had the rug pulled out from under you today, Kimmie." Her mother said, clearing the last of the table.

"Huh? I thought today went pretty well for the first day and all."

"I mean about your Kimmunicator."

"It's no big. Barkin is just going to act as a go-between, that's all. I'm sure the school system had a ferociously good reason for that rule."

"It still grinds my beans they couldn't give you a special exception." Her father said, putting the paper down on the table. "It's not like you're using it as an excuse to get out of class or anything."

"You know this gives Mr. Barkin even more control over you this year, don't you." Anne asked.

"What? Just because he's going to take the calls for us?"

"Yes. This lets him screen your missions."

"He wouldn't do that. He just said he would relay the call to us if it was an emergency. To be honest it would be nice not to have to hear every little update on Drakken's new trial and everything."

"Kim, you just said it yourself. He would come get you if it was an emergency. That means it is up to him to decide when and if a call reaches that status. It puts him in a position to judge whether something is important enough for you to handle it, or whether he tells Wade to turn around and call the regular authorities. If you think about it, what is Mr. Barkin's job."

"He's the Vice-principal."

"Yes. That means his job is to make sure you get and education and you stay safe when you are under his care. Imagine you get a call from that bug doctor down in the Amazon…"

"Professor Acari?"

"Yes, him. Suppose he wants to call you in to investigate something being stolen from his lab again, something even worse than that thing that made all the roaches the size of a delivery van." She hesitated a moment as her daughter turned visibly green. "Now he's got to make a decision. You've got a test coming up in AP English, it's a school night and even if he knows that is not going to affect your performance, it might impact Ron's. He's invested a lot of energy in him and it's starting to pay off. He's probably put as much into him as you have to tell the truth. He gets the call and thinks there is no demonstrated clear and present danger. So, he just tells wade to let the local authorities handle it. After all, you're not the only person on Earth charged with being a hero."

"Wow. I guess I didn't think of it like that. I guess I've gotten way used to it being quiet all the time like this."

"It has been an unusual summer, with the exception of all that to-do when your arch-foe popped up again." She actually smiled thinking about him. The last time she had seen the former "Drew Lipsky" face to face he thought she was Kim's sister. He may have be an evil super-freak, but a compliment is a compliment.

"I've already had Wade put in a call to Doctor Director at Global Justice but until I hear back from them I don't see where I really have a choice."

"Oh, I agree." Her mother said. "Right now it's a rule in black and white backed up with a specific ruling from not only the school administration but the school board itself."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I tend to agree with the rule as it stands right now." Her father said, putting the paper down and picking up a bound stack of paper a quarter inch thick. She recognized it immediately, it was the copy of the student handbook her parents had been sent.

"Dad, what I do is important. I help people."

"I know, Kimmie-cub, but so is school. Face it, you may have gotten off easy today, but that's simply because they have better funding to hire more teachers this year. Somebody named Felíp Bullión donated a very large sum to the school system, so Steve Barkin can do his real job instead of teaching half your classes this year. Your teachers sound like they want to ease you into your subjects, but that doesn't mean there won't be work. In fact I suspect you are about to work harder than you ever had in your life."

"But Dad…"

"You're also forgetting something your Mother just said. I know you work very hard and you do incredibly well at school and I am so proud of you…but think how much harder Ronald has to work just to get by. Before when you dragged him on all your adventures I think he cared more about you than he did himself. Now he's in a position where a setback is going to hurt him, and hurt him terribly. Is that something you want to happen."

"No, it isn't." she answered in a soft voice.

"Like I said, caring for him is about a lot more than the kissing and the dates and holding hands. You have to care for him as a whole person."

"I am doing that Dad. I'm trying to make him watch what he eats and I'm going to start trying to get him in better shape."

"Yes, and that's a good thing. This time you're trying to change him in positive ways instead of just a haircut or something. Just remember, he's not you. His gifts are different from yours. You can't make him over into a mirror image of yourself."

Kim sat at the table thinking about that for a long time. She didn't want to change him, only to make him better. Yes, she could be bossy and controlling but she wanted Ron to be around for the long haul.

Ron had different gifts. He was smart in his own right and actually far more creative than she ever was. Even the years when she had been his science project partner he wasn't totally a slacker about it. Sure, she did all the physical work and the research, but that wasn't Ron's strong suit anyhow. He was still there the whole time making suggestions, his imagination providing the spark that pushed the project from a mere technical success to the A plus they always earned.

He had also walked out on stage and sung an impromptu song about Rufus with no more than a few lines written on a page, in front of a national TV audience no less. She had been prepared to go out there and sing the same song she had done a year earlier in the school talent show, hoping her good but undeveloped voice would carry her.

Ron also launched a gourmet restaurant in the school, cooking mostly from his own imagination rather than simply preparing recipes by rote.

Kim couldn't recall precisely at the moment, but she remembered him saying once he had the "Power of Imagination." He certainly did and it was very strong. If she could just channel that power and make him work his hardest, he was capable of great things, possibly even greater than she could.

Anne came back in from the kitchen and saw her daughter, chin down on her arms, staring wistfully into the den. She walked around the table and whispered in her ear. "Just because togetherness isn't everything, that doesn't mean you can't go in there and be together with him right now."

Kim started to get up but changed her mind as the sounds of furniture and other décor being knocked over spilled out of the den. "I think the boys are having too much fun for me to spoil it right now." She said, putting her head back down on the table. He mother just smiled and headed upstairs.

Eventually things calmed down as the trio wore themselves out. The GWA was only on for an hour that night, so when it was done they popped a DVD into the player…_Return of the King: Special Super-Extended Directors Cut – the Everything even the Scouring of the Shire Edition_. She shook her head, wondering exactly how they intended to watch a five hour long movie on a school night.

Jim and Tim finally wandered off, hopefully just to do some harmless tinkering (though there was always the danger they would come up with something that could vaporize half the block.) Kim wasn't even aware that she had somehow vacated the dining room to take up her old traditional position on the couch, lying on her belly with her feet up, her head propped up on her forearms.

They stayed that way for a long time, silently watching the movie until her father came in. Automatically Ron got up out of his chair, respectfully yielding the throne to the man of the house. Kim took the move as a chance to put her head on his shoulder, nestling comfortably against him as the three of them enjoyed the classic, if long-winded story.

They never made it to the end.

At a quarter of six Kim woke to the sound of her mother once again in the kitchen, making her morning coffee. She was still snuggled up to Ron, who was snoring softly. Some time during the night they had been covered up with a blanket and it was likely one of her parents had called his house to let them know not to worry.

They had walked to school just as they had done for so many years, only this time they went hand in hand. It was still a shame they didn't ride his motorcycle, but that was overkill anyway as beautiful as the weather was that day. They said their temporary goodbyes at their lockers, exchanged quick hand hugs (along with a little move where he stroked her palm with his thumb – a gesture that had a slightly naughty meaning) and he headed off to his first period class as she finished packing her books. It was very likely she'd have a much heavier load on her way home tonight. Like Ron said before dinner, it was going to hit the fan today. Good, she relished the prospect of hitting the books. Today was going to be the real first day.

Barkin emerged from his office, a clipboard in one hand, his briefcase in the other, headed the same direction Ron had taken just minutes before. She had the horrible notion that her boyfriend's trigonometry class was about to acquire a semi-permanent substitute teacher. Poor Ron. He was so stoked yesterday when the gruff Vice-principal hadn't appeared in any of his classes.

Oh well. Barkin may be a hard case but he got some of the best results from marginal student of almost any teacher in the school. There was something to be said for his old-fashioned, up front methods.

Her packing done, Kim activated the computer, checking her email. There were a dozen notes from Wade but none of them were flagged urgent. Probably drivel about Drakken's new trial. This time it wasn't being put on the fast track. They were going to dot every 'I', cross every 'T.' Nothing was going to be left to chance, especially since Shego was still missing. That done she shut it down, watching with amusement as the screen folded back up out of the way.

There was a small stack of clippings still sitting on the now-empty shelf. There were two faded arrest photos of her old enemies that had been taped inside the door of her old locker. She still hadn't decided if she would put them back up. This time something inside her told her that part of her life was done for good. After a moment she reached back into her pack and pulled out two photos, one of her and Ron kissing at the prom, the other a picture of them standing hand-in-hand at Fort Summerdell Beach, their faces a shade of red somewhere between blush and boiled lobster. She taped them above and below the small mirror, respectively.

Nodding in satisfaction she closed the door and turned to head for her class, coming face to face with what was likely the most beautiful young man she had ever seen.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	7. Part VII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part VII

* * *

**

Kim was frozen in her tracks. She felt like her insides were dropping, as if she was on a rollercoaster rolling down the first big hill, as if butterflies had multiplied a thousand fold in her stomach, all raging to get out at once.

The boy was taller than her. Not much of a feat since she only stood five-four. His golden blonde hair was a color that only nature could create. It hung in separate bangs that reminded her a little of Brick Flagg. This boy looked nothing like the former quarterback though. While Kim had always agreed Brick was handsome in his own right, he was precisely what she liked in a man.

This young man was. Dark blonde hair, deep brown eyes, faint freckles across his nose. He was perhaps just an inch shy of six feet tall and his shoulders were only slightly wider than his slender body. He was smiling at her and his toothy grin was nothing short of dazzling.

"Uh, um, hi." She finally said, still staring at those eyes. They were actually dreamy, luminous orbs of cocoa on white that would convey a smile if his mouth hadn't been doing so already.

"Hey, you're Kim Possible, aren't you?" he had the sort of neutral, Midwestern accent that could have come from anywhere in the country. His voice was deep, just a shade away from full maturity. He didn't once stop smiling as he spoke to her.

"Uh. Oh, yeah, that's me. Um, do I know you?"

"Nah. Yesterday was my first day here. My Mom and me moved here from Go City during the summer. Oh, where's my manners. I'm Cary. Cary Allen On."

She shook his hand gently. His skin was warm and soft but she could feel gentle strength in his fingertips. "Cary Allen On from Go City. Cool."

"I remember you from that time you were on the news, helping Team Go bring down that crazy bird guy."

"Yeah, that was me. Had to put the bird back in his cage." She added nervously.

Cary laughed, his voice almost musical. "That's so cool, you sounded just like Hego. So, I noticed you were in my English and Science classes."

"You're taking AP courses? You're a Senior?"

"Sure am…on both counts. At first I wanted to stay and finish school at Go City Central, but my Mom insisted so here I am. Maybe it's a good thing after all." Kim wouldn't have believed it possible, but his smile got even wider, more radiant. "Hey, since we're going to the same class, can I walk you there?"

"Uh, sure, why not." She said, shouldering her backpack, half expecting him to offer and carry it for her. It didn't matter, she was grinning from ear to ear. Even though she was pretty and considered popular, most guys, especially ones this hot almost never paid her any kind of attention. It was like there was a huge warning sign hanging over her head. _This is Kim Possible, she's the weirdo who roundhouses goons out of windows!_

Cary stopped right outside the door or the classroom. "Kim, I know you don't know me from Adam, but there's a dance coming up in a couple weeks…"

"The Spirit Dance." She supplied.

"Yeah, that one. Would you like to go with me?"

Kim gasped as a number of unexpected emotions surged over her. For one thing she had not been asked out on a date since…since that _thing_ said it was _its _mission to take her to the prom. Guys simply did not ask Kim out. Josh had twice (the first time being the very same dance two years earlier) but that had been just about it. Maybe this guy was so new he didn't know the social mores of Middleton High School. The very thought that she could garner the attention of a young man this _golden_ sent her heart aflutter. It made her feel so…appreciated.

Then something else occurred to her. It wasn't her status as a teen-hero that scared most guys off. It was something else entirely.

Kim had the reputation of being the single most 'spoken for' girl on campus. Even before Ron was her boyfriend, almost everyone had assumed that in reality he was. Everyone had seen what she herself couldn't, that even if she wasn't romantically involved with him any other suitor would have to deal with him in her life, like it or not. Most said not and steered clear of the one time pseudo couple.

Then one last emotion roared through her soul. She had hesitated like she was even considering his request. She was ashamed that the one possible answer had not immediately escaped her lips. "I…I'm sorry, I can't. I've got a boyfriend."

"Oh, cool. My bad, I didn't think to ask you."

"No big, like you said, you don't know me yet."

"Yeah, it's cool. The prettiest girl in school deserves a boyfriend. Does he go to school here or is he off at college?"

"He's a Senior here too. Remember the guy I was with on TV?"

"Uh, no, unless you mean Mego, though I thought he was a little older than us."

"No, the blonde guy, dressed the same as me."

"Um, sorry, no, I don't recall."

Somehow the floaty feeling that had descended on Kim like a light mist dissipated just slightly. She had the video of the news coverage on her computer at home. Ron was there clear as day, even though the reporter never once asked him a question. How could anyone miss him, he was standing right there beside her.

A tiny flush of anger appeared on her face. "His name's Ron Stoppable. Anyway, no, I can't go to the Spirit Dance with you, I'm already going with Ron."

They took their seats. She hadn't noticed him the day before because he was sitting near the back while she took her customary spot front and center. She spent the next few minutes trying to put him out of her mind, finding, to her shame, that she couldn't.

What was it about him? Hadn't she learned her lesson about feeling this way just because a guy looked good? _That's all there is about him, isn't it? You don't know him. He's just a pretty face._

A pretty face with cocoa brown eyes, hair the color of corn and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. A face that was sitting in the highest level class taught in this school with her. That meant he's smart. Plus he seemed nice and he smelled good and he was polite.

He had brown eyes and dark blonde hair.

He had a square jaw and a thin, athletic build.

Kim's mind went back to the conversation she had with her parents the night before. Even though she knew she loved Ron and would love him if he stayed just the same the rest of his life, here was a vision of what he would look like if all her attempts to change him came to fruition. Cary was Ron perfected.

Just that realization made her shudder. Just how strong was her bond with Ron? Minutes ago out in Senior Hall she had done something that she had not done since her first day as a Freshman, spotting as modestly tall blue eyed, frosted blonde haired boy. For almost a year she had turned a deaf ear to Ron about Mankey until he finally asked her out.

She was a sheep, a crushing sheep and it scared her that it could still happen. No, it wasn't supposed to be like this. She loved Ron. She loved him with all her heart. It didn't matter he wasn't the best looking boy in the school. She was in love with him as the whole person, the soul she had come to know in a lifetime of friendship.

_Why was she crushing on someone she had known for all of ten minutes? Am I that pathetic? _She thought.

_No! I love Ron! I've all but told him we're going to spend the rest of our lives together!_

Somehow the next three periods just crawled on by. As they left the first, Cary smiled at her on the way out, his face causing her to melt and cringe at the same time. He flashed the same grin at her at third period. Kim took her seat and pounded her forehead on her books, the mixture of curiosity and shame tearing her up inside. As the ending bell rang she couldn't get back to her locker fast enough.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron was still riding on a cloud after unexpectedly spending the entire night with Kim. They hadn't managed to do that since their mission to _Isla Verde_, when they ended up spending the night on an Island on the coast of North Carolina. Even when Doctor Drakken surfaced they were back home in the wee early hours, Kim heading for her room while Ron was banished to the couch. It was a measure of the trust Kim's father now had in him that they would be allowed to spend a night like that.

It seemed like things were finally starting to fall into place with his life. He had a future, he had a girlfriend and to top all that off, he suddenly had some semblance of social status. He was grinning from ear to ear as other upperclassmen clapped him on the shoulder or high-fived him as he made his way to class.

When he sat down Linda Platt turned around in her seat. She had been going to school with Ron since they were small kids but they had maybe said ten words to each other. He didn't even know her name until Kim told him she was Alan Platt's sister, one of the two spared 'Humiliation Nation' on the ski trip they had all gone on their sophomore year when their parents, the planned chaperones, called in sick.

"Hey, Ron, how's it going?" She asked, leaning on the back of her chair.

He didn't quite know what to make of her expression. She was sort of half smiling at him. It was a look girls simply did not give him, at least for the most part.

_Oh, this is so cool. That's how Kim looks at me_ he thought.

"Can't complain." He said, leaning back with his hands behind his head.

"Hey, I never apologized to you."

He sat back up, looking slightly confused. "Uh, what for?"

"That time when you tried to ask me out and I shoved a book in your face. That was definitely not cool."

"I asked you out?"

"Well, I think you asked every girl in the school except Possible. I, uh, guess I wasn't thinking."

"Hey, it's cool. That was, like, two years ago now." He leaned back in his seat again.

"So, are you and Possible still hooked up? Cause if you're not I don't have anyone to go with yet."

Ron's grin got even wider. She was actually, literally asking him out. Never in his life had that happened. Sure, he went on lots of dates with Kim, but they were always mutually planned out, something that was not so much asked for but expected. Linda wasn't in Kim's league but she sure was cute in her own right.

"Yeah, me and Kim are pretty tight." He was still grinning from ear to ear, partly because he was thinking about Kim and partly because of the new attention. Having girls pay attention to him was cool.

_No, it stadium rocked!_

Spending the night with Kim, her parents worshiping the ground he walked on, guys and girls paying attention to him. His girlfriend may have claimed she didn't care about the 'Food Chain' any more, but it sure felt good to be climbing it after spending a whole lifetime on the bottom. It was fine for somebody who was on top to step aside. It was fine for those who didn't have a place in it to thumb their noses at it, but to actually raise your own stake? That was something special, something he wanted to celebrate.

Nothing could bring this day down!

Then, as the second hand counted down the last moments before the first bell a shadow fell across the classroom, sending a chill right down into his soul.

"No, it can't be." He whispered, trying to shrink down into his seat.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	8. Part VIII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part VIII**

**

* * *

**

Kim stood at her locker, tapping her foot, looking at her watch. _Please, please don't follow me back here_ she thought over and over as she waited for Ron. Seconds ticked by slowly, lunch period slipping away in tiny bits and pieces. She didn't know how she would react if Cary appeared once more. Maybe he got the message. _Me, boyfriend, got. _Would that even matter? What about her hesitation this morning? How would he interpret that? Would he see it as a challenge or would he simply move on. Was she reading more into this than she should? Maybe he was just making the rounds, asking lots of girls, he just happened to ask one he knew from TV.

Where was Ron? She thought he would have been there by now, especially since she was toting their food. That is, unless he went straight to the caf to sneak some mystery meat before eating the much healthier food her mother had prepared for them. He wouldn't do that, would he?

_Come on, Ron. I need to see you right now. I need to look into your eyes so I'll know that it's you. I need to know this is all just what my eyes are telling me, not my heart._

There was a sharp 'thwack' sound quickly followed by a sharp pain on the back of her head. She spun around on Monique who was about ready the flick her on the skull once more. "Ow, what was that for?"

"Oh, you know what it's for. Girl, what were you thinking?" Monique had one eyebrow up, the rest of her face scowling.

She had a sinking feeling she knew where this was going, but tried to play it cool anyway. "Thinking? I haven't done anything."

"Oh, they why is everyone I talk to buzzing about Kim and some new bit of hotness named Cary? Girl, they have you doing everything from talking at your locker to playing tonsil hockey in the janitor's closet." She said, standing there with her hands on her hips as if she was correcting a small child.

"Ew, no. He just introduced himself to me and we've got first and third periods together, that's all." That was the honest truth, though it didn't include what had been going on in her mind at the time.

"Are you sure, cause I remember the look on your face the last time hotness like that showed up. Or need I remind you about another four-letter-word?"

"Don't even say it." She growled. "Besides, if I remember right you were just as taken with that _thing_ as I was."

"Uh huh, so tell me. What did you do the moment he walked up to you. Were you like 'hey' like you are with anyone or did your eyes get big as saucers while you stammered before saying hi?"

"I…I…"

"I thought so. Girl, I know you've got it bad for Ron but you've got to reign it in when some pretty guy pays you some attention. You've got it pretty tight with the boy, but he doesn't have a track record with anyone but that Zita girl, if he even gets a hint you're crushing on somebody else he's going to be the one _crushed_." She said with emphasis.

"I'm not crushing on the new guy. I've got Ron and that's all I ever need."

"Glad to hear it. Just so you've got the heads up. Be glad your man doesn't have his ears to the ground like I do."

"I know Monique. I so don't want to spend the next week doing damage control."

"Well, be warned. There are a whole lot more eyes and ears on you than ever before and don't forget Rockwaller. She may not have said two words to you this year but you know it's coming."

The thought that something like this could get to Bonnie scared her, badly. "Yeah, I was kind of expecting that to start tomorrow at the first cheer practice. I've got a little reprieve from her since we don't have any classes together."

"Just be careful. Word is she's on the warpath since Brick never got back together with her. It'd be just like her to latch onto something like this to drive a wedge between you and your Ron."

"It's no big, Mon. Cary and I just said hello, nothing more. I wasn't holding his hand or letting him carry my books or playing hide the tongue with him." She cringed inwardly. A few months ago she would have been thinking of that very thing. She may not have kissed many boys before Ron, but that didn't stop her from thinking about it, fantasizing what it may be like to lock lips with such major hotness.

That was a stupid thing to think about. Ron could knock her socks off the way he kissed. If he asked for it, if he really, really wanted it, he could knock a whole lot more than her socks off. For now she was content to wait for such things, but all it would take was for them to decide the waiting was over and this time she wouldn't chicken out at the last possible moment. That wasn't going to happen. They were happy with where their relationship was right now. There wasn't any pressure to take it to another level they weren't really ready for.

"Uh huh. Well, here comes your main man now." Monique nodded in Ron's direction as he rounded the corner, moving slowly, his head hanging like he'd been punched in the gut. "You hanging at BN tonight?"

Kim frowned, watching her boyfriend's approach. Then she realized what she had been asked. "I don't know. I've already got a lot of homework to do. Might have to take a rain check on that"

Monique nodded and beat a hasty retreat as Ron wandered up. His head was low, looking like the rug had been pulled out from under him. It was a sharp contrast to his disposition this morning. She wondered what could have caused the shift until she remembered a certain faculty member making his way toward his first period class. Well, it had been a beautiful dream, if only for a day.

"Hey, Ron." Kim said as brightly as she could, trying to lift his spirits. She opened her locker, throwing her backpack into the voluminous bottom after unpacking their lunches. Ron half-heartedly did the same, not bothering to open his.

She glanced around. Most of the crowd had already headed for the cafeteria but they didn't have to go there. They might not have had the privilege of leaving campus for lunch as Seniors had before them, but they could still eat outside on the commons. It was a bright, warm day and the ground had more than twenty-four hours to dry after yesterday's rain. It was as close to a picnic as they could come, especially since they wouldn't have to wait in line to purchase the over-processed, over-cooked slop. That wasn't why she was looking around though.

The coast was clear, there were no teachers or other faculty to be seen. Holding the locker door open to screen them partially from view she grabbed Ron by the back of the neck, pulling him in for a very deep kiss, her mouth playing over his, her tongue exploring his mouth, her movements quick, voracious and hungry. It was a kiss that seemed to say she agreed with the naughty little suggestion Ron's hand gesture made earlier that morning.

Fear of incurring the wrath of the school administration aside, Ron eagerly gave into the surprise kiss, forgetting, at least for the moment, where they actually were. He found his hands on her hips, pulling her body close to his, his back leaning up against the frame of her locker. She was back in her usual white crop top with a pink heart, with matching pink capris, so it was her bare waist he was holding. Unconsciously his hands started edging just barely into the top band of her pants, causing them to ride slightly lower on her hips. He really appreciated the fact she wore her pants so loose sometimes. Her body pressed up against his as they lost themselves in the embrace. She could feel her chest mashed up against him, her stomach meeting his. For a fleeting moment she even considered unbuttoning the bowling shirt he had put back on at her house that morning. It didn't last long, but they were able to forget just where they were, reliving some of the better moments of their recently departed summer.

She broke it off finally, checking the hall around them in case anyone had turned a corner while their faces were mashed together. Her body was still leaning into his, her weight supported against him, her hips twitching back and forth ever so slightly. Only a few other students wandered by, some giving Ron the thumbs up. He didn't see them because his eyes were still firmly shut. Emboldened, she leaned against him even harder and kissed him again, one arm over his shoulder, the other hand gripping the back of his head, running through his short hair.

It was Ron who finally pulled away this time. "Whoa. Not that I'm complaining but what brought that on?"

She gave him two or three more quick kisses before putting her head on his shoulder. "Ronnie, I really need some alone time with you. I can't wait until Friday night." She whispered in his ear. She found herself wanting to kiss him even more, but they were already tempting fate. Word might actually get around to the teachers about what they had been up to. Of course, there were students who dared the PDA policy all the time, but it usually wasn't straight as an arrow Kim Possible doing it.

Then again maybe word getting around she was making out with Ron was a good thing. Something to counteract the mostly false rumors about her and Cary. No, that's not why she was kissing him. She just needed to reconnect with him, just to have some assurance that what happened to her this morning was nothing more than a reaction to something pretty, not the deep, abiding love she had for Ron. In a week they would have known each other for thirteen years. All that history couldn't be undone just by one look at a pretty boy, one she didn't know at all. For all she knew he could have a thing for stomping on kittens. He was nothing, just nice to look at, that's all.

"I don't know, KP. Barkin took over Trig this morning and he slam loaded us with homework. I've got to do all the problems in chapter 1 tonight."

"Please, Rondo. At least between school and dinner. Let's flake on the Spirit Week meeting and run get your bike."

"Sure, KP, anything for you. I just don't want to fall behind."

"You won't…hey, I just thought of something." She brightened, standing straight up, leaving Ron plastered to the locker as if he was numb all over.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Don't your parents still go to Denver every Tuesday?"

"Yeah, I thought it all had to do with the old Bueno Nacho deal, but they're still going. Maybe it has something to do with their regular jobs."

"Spankin. We'll make a quick appearance at the meeting then. Don't want Bon-bon slipping up and stealing the top spot on us do we?"

"Nuh, uh." He answered.

"Remember studying for exams?" She lightly touched his cheek with her finger.

"Booyah." He said softly, grinning. "We can do our homework…"

"…together." She finished for him. "With appropriate breaks in between. I'll just call my folks and tell them I'm having dinner with you."

"Cool. Maybe Barkin loading me up isn't going to be so bad if this is how we're going to do the work. I like the way you think, KP."

"I do know what's best for you and what you need is some natural Kimminess." She said as she shut and locked the door, turning down the hallway.

"That's not anything like natural Kimness, is it?" He said, grinning but cocking an eyebrow at her.

"No, Kimness is me being a bossy control freak. Kimminess just happened back at the locker."

"Just checking. Don't want the 'team' voting you out in favor of a banjo playing robotic bear."

"I'm not going to kiss a computer controlled stuffed bear. Now, let's get outside before we lose the whole lunch period. I'm willing to bet a certain someone is starving."

"Hrk! Oh yeah!" Squeaked Rufus from Ron's pocket. "Lunch!"

"Yeah, he's hungry too." Ron said, taking her hand as they headed out the door.

A modestly tall, blonde haired young man stood in the shadows not far from their locker and nodded, his mouth curling into a devilish smirk.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	9. Part IX

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part IX**

**

* * *

**"Hey, I'm gonna go ahead and change. See you in a few." Kim said, squeezing Ron's hand. 

"'Kay, KP. Just hope they don't want me to wear that full body Mad Dog suit today."

"Uck! I just hope they washed it since it was put away last season."

"See, that's why I like basketball season, I just wear the head and a cheer uniform."

"I don't think you'll even need that today, this is just going to be sign ups for Freshman tryouts. I'm so not looking forward to is since half the squad graduated last year. Hey, I've got to scoot, all the returning girls have to suit up."

"Right behind you, KP." He said as he watched her walk away, appreciating the view. Kim had somehow squeezed into a pair of low-rider jeans and the view from behind was just as spectacular as her skin tight super suit. He shook his head as he went back to sorting his books and homework.

Funny thing about those super-suits. After Kim wore the first one he almost begged Wade to make him one. Actually, it took most of the summer for their tech guru to put together more of them, but once they were perfected he made quite a few. The original hadn't survived the fight. It looked like it was in one piece but all the technology built into it was destroyed when Synthodrone 901 knocked Kim out with a huge electrical discharge.

Then when they had gone after Drakken mid-month he got to wear one for the first time. He didn't think about it at the time, but when they got back from the mission he got a good look at it in the mirror and discovered that the qualities that made it look so badical on Kim were just plain embarrassing for him. He made his mind up then and there to wear his cargos over it the next time they suited up, even if Wade made good on his promise to change the color to black.

As Kim turned the corner it struck him how she had changed during the summer. Before, when she wasn't wearing a cheer uniform or her mission clothes she dressed like, well, a teenager. A _young_ teenager. Sure she would show off a lot of skin with her crop tops during the warmer months, but she always wore pants that were a little behind the times and somewhat conservative to boot.

Yet today she was wearing the low-cut jeans and a camisole top. She looked absolutely astounding in the outfit. It left him grinning from ear to ear when he realized she was doing that for him. She even left it on all day long, waiting for the start of cheer practice to change into her uniform.

He was surprised with the direction the start of school had taken. Kim made it very clear was the new year approached that they would have to cool things down between the two of them, at least during the week. That was cool with him. He had been together with Kim for many years and only in the last few months had things gotten physical between them. He liked making out with her, holding hands, hugging, snuggling and all the other stuff that became part of their relationship, but he could live without them when it was appropriate.

The kiss before lunch yesterday had taken him completely by surprise. Not that he didn't enjoy it, but he wasn't expecting it would be Kim who broke down and started pushing the rules first. Then when they got home he could tell she was very eager to finish all their homework. She was almost giddy with the fact his math homework hadn't taken a third the time he thought it would. The concepts were coming to him quicker and quicker, so it was a matter of just doing the work, not just puzzling over it endlessly and writing down something clearly wrong in frustration.

Kim finished hers off with (from his perspective) no effort and they settled into the couch with her laying back on him, reading the first three chapters of an obscure British novel for English class. He was enjoying that kind of studying so much he actually started reading it over her shoulder, to the point he was a little anxious to continue the story when she finally put the book down after and hour of reading.

That's when she rolled over on him and started kissing him and it wasn't just their usual tender making out, she was hungry, almost wild. At one point she actually started lightly sucking on his tongue, biting down ever so gently. He was getting into it, to the point he realized his hand was up the back of her shirt, under her strap.

"Hey, KP, how would you like one of those backrubs?"

"Rowr." She purred, getting up off the couch and literally pulling him to his feet. She made him wait a few minutes outside his room as she got partially undressed. She lay on her stomach, giving him full access to her back. He loved doing this for her as much as he loved getting it in turn. He started off with tender caresses, barely touching her flesh, ending with much deeper kneading.

Unlike the times they had done this before, Kim sat up, clutching his covers to her chest as she kissed him again. He started to get the impression they might be getting ready to go further than they ever had before, but she finally let him go and sent him out so she could put her top back on. Still, he somehow knew that if he had pushed the matter more than just her top might have come off.

That thought was reinforced by all the little kisses she placed on his neck as she rubbed his back.

Later they got on his motorcycle and rode around town, stopping at Bueno Nacho just long enough to get some dinner before he took her home around nine-thirty. Waiting at the door was a stern-faced Anne Possible.

"Ron, I think the two of you could use a good night's sleep in your own beds, don't you?" As cool as her parents were with their relationship, there were limits to things. But, it was school night, he hadn't gotten a good quality night's sleep on the couch with Kim, so he knew she was right and was looking out for them.

"Sure thing, Doctor P." He said cheerfully. Kim, who had already gone inside, assuming Ron would come in with her turned and blew him a kiss. He grinned like and idiot and blew one back at her before heading for his bike.

Kim's mother was absolutely right. He was flat out exhausted. No sleep the night before classes, about seven hours on the Possible's couch, a full day of classes, homework (actually done and with confidence it was right!) and an impromptu 'hanging out' date with badical make outs all took their toll. He didn't even make it to the shower, basically crashing on his bed, out like a light until the alarm went off at six.

Then Kim was waiting for him with those new jeans on! Oh, what he would have given to be following behind them on his motorcycle this morning. The view would have been…spectacular!

"Hey, dude, what's up?"

Ron turned, not recognizing the voice. "Uh, not much." He said, not knowing what the stranger wanted him to say. He had seen the guy a couple times around school. He was obviously a new transfer since he was clearly too old to be a new Freshman. One look and Ron had him labeled 'blonde haired-pretty boy.'

"Hey, you're that guy who works with that crime fighting girl, aren't you. Ron something?"

"Yeah, Ron Stoppable. I'm Kim Possible's sidekick…er…boyfr..."

"Oh yeah, Possible. I remember that now. Cool. Hey, I'm having a party at my place Friday night. Wanna come?"

"Um, I don't know. That's date-night…I'd need to check with my girlfriend."

"Cool, bring her along. We'll have tunes and stuff to eat. It'll be cool."

"Sure, why not. If KP's down with that I'd love to. Say, I didn't get your name."

"It's Cary. I just moved here over the summer, but I've already got lots of folks lined up for the get-together. Be a shame if you and your girl couldn't make it." He leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. "My Mom's flying back to Go City Friday morning, you know, divorce stuff and all, so we'll have the run of the place, if you catch my meaning."

"Um, sure." Ron started rubbing the back of his neck. While he had never been invited to this sort of thing in the past, he knew quite well the sort of thing that went on when there were no parents to supervise that kind of gathering. "Listen, I've got to get to practice…where is it going to be?"

"I live on the corner of Buster Flats Road and Cherry Grove Lane. You won't be able to miss it, the place will be hoppin'!"

"Cool. Corner of Buster and Cherry, got it." Ron gave him a thumbs up as he walked away.

_This is so cool!_ He thought to himself as he made his way to the gym. Before it took something out of the ordinary for him to even be considered for such an event, like the original Bueno Nacho money or that silly haircut Kim made him get a couple years ago. Now it was him, just him and to top it off, that Cary guy had known his name ahead of Kim's! That certainly never happened before!

He was feeling so good about himself he headed for the boy's locker room. Whether he needed to or not, he was going to change into his cheer squad uniform and put on the Mad Dog head and wow all the new potential recruits. Time to put on a show.

Yeah, those parties had a reputation for getting out of control. There would likely be beer and other alcohol (or worse!) and there would be people sneaking off to do…things, but it was a party and a Senior party as well! What a great way to cement his newfound position on the school's social hierarchy than to be seen at such a soiree. Perhaps it could even help enhance his standing! Ron Stoppable and his girlfriend Kim Possible on the party scene!

_Booyah!_

* * *

Kim was out on the gym floor in a few short minutes. The rest of the girls could take their time putting on their outfits and playing with their makeup if they wanted to. She was ready to get this started and head home with Ron to get their homework taken care of, hopefully leaving them some time to have fun like they did the day before. A little part of her felt guilty about throwing their 'save everything for Friday' mentality right out the window, but she knew when to stop and when to go. They were keeping up with their work for the time being so there was nothing wrong with a little innocent hanky-panky afterwards. 

The door to the girl's locker room opened. Kim turned just in time to see Bonnie and Tara casually walking out onto the floor. Bonnie looked like she must have spent the summer tanning on a tropical beach somewhere. Kim clenched her teeth slightly, thinking it was likely the snarky…witch didn't have the same tan lines she was forced to live with. Kim had gotten a nasty sunburn down in Florida while wearing a bikini that was just about ten square inches away from being a thong. The burn was healed and her freckles had faded back to oblivion (on Ron she loved them, on her…well, if they hadn't faded she would have worn a lot more makeup than usual) but she couldn't quite shake the lines. She'd kept just a little tan after the burn was gone. Poor Ron, his skin had two states – burnt or pale.

"Oh, hi K." Bonnie said. "That glow looks lovely on you."

"Thanks, Bonnie." She blurted before suspicion crept in. "What glow?"

"Oh, don't play coy with us." She waved her hand dismissively. "The glow of womanhood, what else?"

"Glow of womanhood? What the heck are you on about." Kim narrowed her eyes at her, crossing her arms.

Tara just playfully grabbed Kim's arm. "Oh, you can tell us. How is he?"

"How is he what?" She shifted her eyes from Bonnie to her platinum blonde friend. Then it hit her. 'How is he?'…'glow of womanhood.' "Oh my God! No, it's not like that!"

Bonnie just harrumphed. "Come off it K. Everybody and their brother saw you go off into the wood with him at the Lake Middleton party last summer. Word has it you were in the back seat of that big ugly car of his more than once on Logging Camp Road. If you're trying to say he hasn't been banging your brains out all this time you're more full of it than usual."

"Come on, Kim. You can tell us. Is it true what they say about guys with big hands?" Tara asked.

Kim glared at her rival. Tara she could accept, she had obviously had her head filled with this crap from Bonnie. Not having any classes with the two this semester, Bonnie had probably been bending her ear for days now, perhaps more. She realized she had not seen either one of them for almost the entire summer.

"Listen, you two, even if I had slept with Ron, the last thing I would do would be to blab about something that…_private_."

"Kim, I call BS on you. Everyone saw that little show you put on yesterday at your locker. He almost had you right there in Senior Hall. No, let me correct that, you almost had _him_. Bet you even have him trained. Does he sit up and beg? Or does he loll his tongue and li…"

She grabbed Bonnie by the arms so fast neither her nor Tara saw her start to move. "Listen to me good, Bonnie! I love Ron and we do make out, but if I hear anything else about you spreading rumors that we're screwing I'm going to show you fifteen out of sixteen kinds of kung-fu. Do you understand me?"

"Let go of me Possible!" Bonnie growled back at her. "It's not like you've got such a stellar rep to protect any more. That was gone the moment you kissed that loser at the prom. You were a loser anyway, but you got a full dose of it once you hopped in the sack with him. When was it, prom night? Had to get some on the very first date you little slut?"

"Bonnie, what the hell?" Tara said, pulling Kim away from her. "If Kim said they haven't slept together then they haven't."

"That's bull-snap and you know it!" Bonnie snarled. "Then again, maybe it isn't. All you'd have to do is promise it to that loser and he'd follow you around all day like a little lost dog. Bet all he's done is hump your leg."

Ron entered the gym just in time to see Kim's fist connect with Bonnie's jaw.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	10. Part X

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part X**

**

* * *

**

Ron was on top of the world. The ladies not only didn't turn their nose up at him as he walked by, some of them actually looked at him and said "Hi!" while others even looked him up and down. He wondered what they saw now they hadn't before. Last year when he'd worn the leather jacket around campus the only looks he got were rolling eyes. Maybe it was just something about why he wore it. He was posing then. Now he wore it for it's protective qualities when he rode the bike. Maybe they could sense when he was pretending and when it was real.

Rock Banner, the new quarterback even high-fived him as he approached the gym. That made it definite. He had arrived. Rock may not have been as 'pretty' as Brick, but he was the top dog on the football team and by definition, king of the food chain, at least as long as the season went well. Since the first game had yet to be played, his claim to the throne was unchallengeable. His acknowledgement of Ron was tantamount to handing out invitations to join the school elite.

Part of his mind started nagging him, though. It should take more than a leather jacket and a touch of confidence to vault him to such stature. Maybe it was just the fact he was in love, real love and it showed as much on the outside as he could feel it inside. Yes, that had to be it.

Hope was just outside the building, chatting with her boyfriend (and root cause of most of her groundings!) Along with Bonnie, Tara and Kim, she was the only other returning squad member. Marcella, Jessica, Crystal and Liz had all graduated, leaving the largest gap in the squad he could ever remember. The fact they had all been together so long was a big part of their success.

Her face lit up as he approached. She waved enthusiastically at him. "Hi Ron!" She said brightly.

"Lookin' good there, Hope!" He said, making a pistol out of his hand as he walked by. He didn't even bother to look at her boyfriend, who he was certain was boring holes in his back with his eyes. If anything, the thought of any guy in this school thinking he could be a threat for his girl's affections made him swagger just a tad more.

Today was going to be either interesting or boring. It was likely going to be spent listening to Kim give a speech to the new potential cheerleaders, who would more than likely be composed of Freshmen, along with a few older hangers on who showed up every time a spot opened up on the squad. Heck, maybe it was their year! After all, the squad had stayed mostly the same for two years running.

Yes, even if it wasn't required, he was going to at least suit up in his blue, yellow and red squad uniform. That didn't necessarily mean he would don the Mad Dog head, though he really would like to show the newbies his killer mascot moves. He was especially stoked that the school had finally spent some claude and had a real, honest to goodness head made up for him, replacing his home-made one (which, being made from a Movie Magic Makeup kit from Smarty Mart was really showing its age after two years.) It even had a battery powered foam generator!

He stopped for just a moment in the entry hall connected to the school by a covered walkway. It would have been quicker to have taken the back entrance where D-hall connected directly with the Gym, but it was too nice a day outside to spend all of it cooped up inside (he'd learned better last year not to request having class outside) so he chose the scenic route.

Which was also the route that would take him past the largest number of classmates.

There was a picture there that now made him smile. The look on his face just about said it all. The whole squad had just arrived at Camp Gottagrin for Cheer Camp and he had just learned that it was in fact his dreaded Camp Wannaweep. Turned out he once again got his chance to play the hero. There was also the fact Kim almost lost it with Bon-bon. That was the first time he had seen up close how vicious the two of them were with each other. Bonnie he could see pulling some of those stunts, but Kim? This went way beyond a pom-pom in the kisser or a slightly overdone hip bump. Those two were out to get each other.

He had a lot better handle on his feelings where Bonnie was concerned any more. He spent many hours just talking with Kim and he learned a lot about her rival based on the time the two girls spent glued together. Sure, she was a raging hottie, but she was also, well, not nice. Sure, part of that could be explained by the treatment she received from her (much older) sisters, but hey, that's no reason to be one hundred percent bitch one hundred percent of the time. Then too, for some reason she just didn't smell good to him. She didn't reek, actually, she smelled nice and pleasant, it's just there was something a little off to him.

She didn't smell of lavender and soap…and Kim. He got wistful and a tad excited just thinking about her, burying his face in her long red hair and breathing deeply, nibbling lightly on her neck. Cooler weather was coming and she would be able to wear tops that could hide a hickey. She was probably going to put a major beat down on him when he did it, but it should be worth it.

The gym was still mostly empty, only Kim, Tara and Bonnie were there. Signups wouldn't start for another half-hour, supposedly leaving enough time for the girls to get ready. With the three of them already there that left only Hope to finish up with her boyfriend and suit up.

He was about to call out to them when he saw Kim punch Bonnie with a mean right jab. The blow seemed to come out of nowhere, she didn't even wind up leaving the other girl no clue what was about to happen.

He crossed the gym floor in three bounds, reaching the three girls even before Bonnie's butt could hit the floor. Kim was standing over her in a quivering rage.

"I don't give a flying crap what you say about me Bonnie, but if you ever say anything like that about my Ron again you're going to wish you spent less time taking ballet and more time running track!" Kim almost spat at her.

Bonnie just grinned, wiping a tiny trickle of blood from her busted lip. "Oh, I don't think you're the one to be threatening right now, Miss Perfect. By the time I'm done with you you'll no longer be captain of the squad, you won't even be on the squad. I might even get my mother to swear a warrant out on you for assault.

"I'll show you assault!" Kim raged, shaking her clenched fist.

"No! Kim, no!" Ron said, grabbing her arm. "It's not worth it."

Kim spun around on him, locking him with her green-eyed fury. "Don't ever tell me what you are worth, dammit! Don't ever tell me you're a loser! Don't ever tell me what I can and cannot do!" With that she stormed out of the gym, wracked in sobs.

* * *

Fury had melted to despair as Kim hit the outer doors of the gym, headed out into the hot afternoon sun. The enormity of what she had done was just starting to sink in. Her temper had finally gotten the best of her and she had done the unthinkable.

This was something she had talked about with Ron on many occasions. In his old, immature way he suggested that Kim use her 'mad skills' to 'kick Bonnie biscuit' just like she 'kicked Shego biscuit.' Her reply had been to the effect that Shego was a hard-core criminal, hard-core evil at its worst. Shego was dangerous and that called for equally dangerous skills to handle her. Bonnie, on the other hand wasn't hard-core evil, she was just, as she so delicately put it, 'high-school evil,' not even worth unleashing her talents.

Then too it would be a red mark on her permanent record.

Dammit, there was a lot more at stake here than her school records. Once Bonnie got to a faculty member, most likely Barkin it would all be over. Just as she threatened, she was very well likely to be kicked off the squad. Sure, over the years there had been quite a few cat-fights among the girls, but this was different. It wasn't a fight. Bonnie never had a chance. She didn't see it coming, there was no way for her to. At any other time Kim would have been proud of a hit like that. Even Shego would have a hard time blocking that. That was part of the problem. With her level of skill, Kim was dangerous. Not just painfully dangerous, she could kill, especially going up against an untrained opponent. If Bonnie hadn't rolled slightly with it…

…she rolled! Bonnie knew the punch was coming and she rolled with it! Kim sat down hard on the ground in the middle of the quad and just let the tears come. Bonnie finally won. She finally managed to push her over the edge and that put her on top. Five years of rivalry, starting in Middle School had finally come to this. Five years of hard work, two of them spent as the captain, turning a solid but unspectacular squad into a tournament winning dynasty were not shot down the drain, all because she couldn't keep her temper in front of that…frigid piece of human waste in there.

Life as she knew it was over for a long, long time. Fighting carried with it an automatic three day suspension. No questions asked, no reprieve. That was only the beginning of the punishments they could levee on her. Along with the suspension came a week-long exclusion from all extra-curricular activities. That meant cheer squad, dance committee, Environment club…everything. She would miss try-outs, leaving Ron as her only voice for picking the new squad. That also meant missing the election for team Captain. Up until five minutes ago she had assumed she would be a lock. The rest of the team looked up to her since she was the driving force behind their success. Even the new girls (maybe even guys this time) would know about that.

That was even if she would be allowed to stay on the squad. Up until this point they had proven they didn't need too much adult supervision. That would change in an instant and it was very likely that whoever was placed in charge of them would see her as a potential threat to the squad and unilaterally kick her off the team.

None of that even came close to the worst of it all.

Ron.

First of all, the punishments would not be restricted to just the school. Nothing like this had ever happened before. She had no idea how long she would be grounded this time. She really never got in that much trouble. There had been the lies she told on Halloween when she was fifteen and then there was the week both of them were grounded after the prom for staying out all night. This time it would be different. It wouldn't be a 'soft grounding' like the last time. She quite literally would only be allowed out of the house to go to school, and it was very likely even then her Father would drive her, just to take away the short period of time she would have with Ron going to and from classes.

What was worse than that was how Ron would feel about all this. It was with her insistence he finally let the Bonnie matter drop. She was the one who said it was never going to happen. Now all of that had been turned into a lie. He once asked her if he could be trusted and she said yes, she could trust him with her life (just not with her share of dinner at Bueno Nacho.) Now she was the one who could not be trusted.

Cheerleading was gone. Missions were gone and, very likely, now Ron would be gone. It didn't matter she was defending his honor, it was hers that she threw away.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

She didn't even have to look up, she recognized the voice. "Not now, Cary, just leave me alone."

He wasn't going to be driven off that easily. He sat down in front of her, a respectful four or five feet away. "Hey, if you need somebody to talk to, I'm all ears."

"Listen, I'm sorry, I don't want to talk to anyone right now, Okay. You don't know me and you don't know about my problems, so please leave me alone."

"Look, Kim. From what I see you're a pretty together woman. If something's bad enough that you've got to come running out of the gym and sit down on the wet grass and cry about it, it's pretty bad. In my book, that's something you need to talk to people about. We're not put on this Earth to go it alone, that's why there's other people."

"Cary, that's sweet and all, but this is most def something I don't want to talk about."

"Is it boyfriend issues? Cause if that guy you're with is being a jerk, I could…"

"Shut up. Just shut up. No, it's not boyfriend…well, it could be, but it's not what you're thinking so just let it rest, will ya?"

He slowly got to his feet. "Hey, whatever's clever. See you in English tomorrow."

"Sure." She drew her knees up to her chest. He sure was a sweet guy. There was no way she was going to push Ron aside for a useless romantic fling with him, but she could certainly use a friend, especially with all the self-inflicted doom that was about to come down on her.

"Who was that?" Ron asked as he walked up to her, sitting right up beside her.

"Just a guy in my English and Physics class. You probably don't know him."

"Didn't get a good enough look at him. You okay?" He put his hand on her back, gently rubbing circles.

"I am at the moment." She sobbed. "Won't be for too long once Bonnie gets to Barkin or whoever's actually in charge."

"That's not going to happen." He said, giving her waist a squeeze. "Tara and I gave Bon-bon a good talking too and we ended up making a deal."

"A deal? You?"

"Yeah, me. Rondo's got some mad diplomacy skills. Well, that and I had a lot of help from Tara."

"Go on."

"Okay, right now the only people who know about the fight are you, me, Tara and Bonnie. Well, Bonnie was going to run off to Barkin and blab about the fight and the whole thing."

"It wasn't a fight. I just put the smack-down on Bonnie."

"No, listen to the rest of what I've got to say. Tara stuck up for you. She said if Bonnie goes to Barkin she would too and tell him that it was a fight, not just you sucker-punching her."

"So, it'd be Bonnie's word against Tara's"

"KP, we're talkin' Barkin here. He's going to give both of them the benefit of the doubt and that means Bonnie ends up taking the same heat as you. After all, they always say they don't care who threw the first punch, fight and you're suspended."

"Go on."

"Okay, so she's thinking it over, weighing her options, trying to decide if it was worth chancing that to take you down, or taking you down with her so I proposed a compromise. We all know it was you who took the swing so some consequences are fair."

"There is a gist to all this, I hope." She said, gripping his knee.

"Yeah. You're sitting out try-outs. She wanted me off the panel too, but that wasn't going to happen, so it's up to Hope, Tara, Bonnie and me to pick four new girls and an alternate…or a guy, there's already one guy in the bleachers like he's waiting to sign up."

"She didn't want the captaincy?"

"Uh, yeah, but I wouldn't let her just take that. It's going to be harder for you to hold onto it since you won't be picking the team, but I told her we were still going to have a proper election and she would have to take her chances then. In the end she agreed."

"So this is over? Just like that?"

"Yup."

"And you're not angry with me?"

"Actually, to quote your father, this grind my beans, but there's a whole world of difference between angry and so pissed I'm walkin'."

"You knew what I was thinking?"

"KP, I've been with you almost constantly over thirteen years. If I don't know what you're thinking by now I'm just a big loser." He said the last with a silly grin. "You know, I used to think I was going to be the one worried I wouldn't live up to your expectations. Outside of you doing something unthinkable like running off with some pretty boy, there's no way you're losing me. When this sort of thing happens, I'm supposed to be there for you, not making it worse by having a little personal pity fiesta and walking away."

Kim leaned over and kissed his cheek, squeezing his leg even harder. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You were born." He whispered back.

"I love you, Ron."

"I know." He said, getting up and offering his hand.

She asked as he was pulling her up, "So, what are you all going to tell the newbies is the reason the acting team Captain is sitting out the tryouts?"

"Oh, we're just going to tell them the truth."

"The truth?" She almost shrieked.

"Yep. We're going to tell them you hurt your wrist punching out a bad guy and you went to have it checked, then tomorrow during the selection you'll go home and recuperate. Just remember to wear an ace bandage tomorrow."

She noticed for the first time he had two backpacks on his shoulder. "Shouldn't I go back and change?"

"Nope. Won't be the first time you've worn your uniform home, besides, I'm taking you to the 'medical center' for treatment, so they're not expecting you back."

She took his hand, carefully switching sides so she was using her 'good' hand and they walked to his bike. "Something tells me the guy at the check-in counter of this 'medical center' is named Ned."

"You know me all too well, KP."

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	11. Part XI

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XI**

* * *

Kim was lying on her bed, wrapped in a towel, thinking about getting ready for her date but really just lying there feeling good about herself. Thursday had come and gone with a minimum of fuss, cheer practice time spent at the mall shopping with Monique. Ron had the foresight to take his video camera so she had a good idea of what went on at the actual tryouts. With Ron and Tara forming a solid voting block Bonnie was forced to vote on mostly the best candidates, not those she wanted to nudge into her new posse. If they sensed she was going to insist on a girl she would either lose when Hope sided with them or face a tie-breaker. In the end, Bonnie left the gym in a huff after the four girls and one alternate were selected. Come Monday they would start practicing for real and after a week they would vote on a new captain.

She was so proud of how Ron handled Bonnie. He never let her snarky behavior and put-downs get to him. He knew how to 'consider the source' and it all just washed over him like a gentle breeze. He had always been that way. He didn't even flinch when the girl told him people would laugh loudly and cruelly. It wasn't until Kim told him she agreed with Bonnie that he had left deflated. What Bonnie said didn't mean anything to him, what she said meant everything in the world.

There had been a moment afterwards as Kim was waiting for Ron at the food court. Her eyes narrowed and a low growl escaped her lips when she noticed him entering with Tara on his arm. Actually, it was the platinum blonde clutching his arm in much the same way she did with any guy she was friendly with. Only, Kim knew that she once had a crush on him, though she never did anything about it. Hopefully it was just Tara being her usual friendly self.

She raised an eyebrow when she realized Hope was trailing close behind. It started to dawn on her then…Tara had broken ranks with Bonnie to stick up for her. That meant a shift in the power structure of the squad, and possibly the social hierarchy…the so-called "Food Chain." Tara broke away from Ron who actually was escorting her in like a gentleman and ran up giving Kim a hug.

_Maybe I should have smacked Bon-bon a long time ago?_

No, Ron was right, she was just too dangerous to be doing that. It would make her not only just like her rival, but worse, far worse. With Bonnie it had always been about words. Spiteful remarks, cutting criticism, now outright lies were her weapons. With the right timing she could decimate your reputation.

Against an untrained opponent, Kim could put somebody in the hospital…or worse.

It still puzzled her how Bonnie had been able to roll with her punch, even just a little. There was, or course, the explanation that she had deliberately been baiting her and expected it to happen but that meant skills she didn't think the girl possessed. That meant watching for visual cues; eye movements, muscles tensing, body weight shifting. That was something Kim could do and to a lesser degree Ron but not Bonnie.

Unless…just what exactly had the tanned beauty been doing over the summer?

A tiny spark of snarkiness wondered _who_ she had been doing over the summer until she remembered Brick telling Monique that the other cheerleader was a frigid tease. She wondered about that. It just didn't sit right with the mental image she had of her. The thought of Bonnie Rockwaller still being a virgin? That didn't compute. Especially the way she assumed that Kim was already going all the way with Ron.

Kim brushed her hair out and closed the hatch to her room, locking the side door as well. She pulled a large Club Banana bag out and dumped the contents on the bed. Stuffed between a new pair of olive cargos (oh how she wished they would hit the clearance rack again like they had after 'Kim Style' had faded) and a pair of black denim hip huggers was a little pink bag from Alexandria's Confession. What it contained she definitely did not want her brothers or especially her father to see.

The last time she bought anything from that lady's lingerie store it hadn't gone too well. Then it was a pair of lacy see-thru panties that Monique insisted she wear on her first full date with Ron. It didn't matter there was no way in the world he was going to see her in them, it was supposed to make her feel sexy, like it was a dirty little secret in the back of her mind, helping set the tone for the date.

First of all, dinner and dancing with scratchy lace riding up into your backside wasn't sexy, not at all. Then, the next day she completely forgot about throwing them away and they somehow accidentally ended up in Ron's hands, where, through no fault of his except for his usual luck, they ended up being seen by most of the worst people.

This time she went in and had a long, professional conversation with one of the sales-ladies. She described what she wanted and what had happened the last time. Turned out what she had bought before was for one thing and one thing only and she wasn't about to do that then, nor was she now.

Monique had been onto something, though. There was something to be said for wearing something just a teensy bit naughty. She knew Ron had a thing for the simple cotton she normally wore, but with just the right touch of lace…

Then too, there were her new jeans. If she wore her old underwear it would actually show, so that meant going without or getting the type made to be worn with them. Wednesday morning she found that out the hard way and ended up going to school with another kind of dirty little secret, the kind that made her glad it was her lover who always lost his pants and not her. She wasn't quite used to them being that tight or that low cut, but her boyfriend seemed to like them. As in he couldn't take his eyes off her butt liked them and if Ron was appreciating her butt…

No, she didn't want to go there. Anything she did to look better was done for him and him alone. It was about pleasing her man, not attracting another. She actually felt proud of herself the way she had handled the crisis earlier in the week. It scared her that a pretty face could still give her the flutters but when you came right down to it, it was Ron she wanted at the end of the day. It was Ron, the whole man she was in love with, not just his face. Plus his face was good…no, great! That was the face she saw in her dreams.

In delicious, steamy, sweaty dreams she had been having, especially after Wednesday's festivities.

Kim took one more look at the dress draped over the back of her student chair. If the original plans for the evening had remained she would have already put it on. At first she was a little disappointed Ron wanted to go to some house party rather than the dance club, but he insisted. Somehow he had the impression they would have a good time. Dancing and food were promised, so it seemed alright. Then too, even if they didn't get as much 'alone' time as they first planned, they had gotten plenty of that two days earlier. Originally they had planned Friday night as their only alone time.

Kim slipped into her new acquisitions. Black silky 'cheeky low-rider' panties and a matching strapless bra, new black denim hip-hugger jeans and a satin black camisole top. It hung a little lower than her usual crop tops, but still stopped about an inch above her navel. Basically the band of bare skin had moved lower with the ensemble. She topped it all off with a gold metallic belt draped around her hips, and the red shoes and bangles she usually wore with the dress. It didn't matter her emerald earrings didn't quite go with the outfit, but she wore them anyway. Ever since Ron had gotten them for her birthday she had worn them on every date. Quite by accident she found out they cost just over a thousand dollars, money he had gotten by selling his childhood collection of action figures. That meant a lot to her and she would wear them every chance she got. She even planned to wear them on her wedding day…

…which of course would come many years from now (but not soon enough!)

Timing was everything. Ron's bike wasn't loud like the American versions, but it did have a distinctive sound. He pulled up into the drive just as she was putting on some dark red lipstick.

"Kimmie, Ron's here!" Her mother called from downstairs.

"I'll be down in a minute, Mom!" She looked in her full-length mirror one more time. _I'm such a smokin' hottie! _She blew her own self a kiss and headed down the stairs.

Ron was waiting at the bottom of the stairway. Somehow she suspected he had some kind of notion he could see something when she was wearing a short dress but in reality it had become his custom to wait there. Woe onto him if he ever decided to just pull up and honk for her. James Possible may have been very fond of him, but that was one thing he couldn't abide. If a young man was picking his daughter up for a date, he better be willing to walk up and ring the bell. Even as solid as she was with Ron that particular rule still applied.

He mouthed the word 'whoa' as she descended the stairs. It was clear he appreciated the new outfit as much as he did the black dress. Well, almost. There was something special about it now that gave it a little oomph past anything else she could put on. It was also another reason to have black underwear, especially if he was going to squire her around town on a motorcycle.

The thought gave her pause. What if her parents watched her ride away crouched on the back of the bike in these pants. Her father might apply a new definition to 'Just say no to crack!'

She needn't have worried. He mother had gone back to the kitchen and her father never once looked up from his paper. Dates with Ron had become as routine as the two of them going out to hang out. She could have left the house in a thong bikini and they wouldn't have noticed…at least until word got back to them.

"We're going out, Dad." She called.

"Okay, Kimmie-cub. Remember tomorrow you're going to Temple with Ron so don't be out late."

"Sure thing."

"Wow oh wow you look…so hot, KP." Ron said as they walked out to his bike.

"You like?" She twirled around, wiggling her backside slightly.

Ron was almost ready to pass out. "Man, I've only got one complaint."

"What's that?" She asked as she swung her leg over the back of the bike and put on her helmet.

"Those jeans are so tight you don't have that little gap."

"So?"

"Well, I've always kinda looked down it when you weren't watching, trying to get a peek at what you were wearing under there."

"Ron! You mean to tell me you did that when we were just friends too?"

"Uh, hello. You're a badical babe and I'm a normal healthy male? Of course I did."

Kim grinned from ear to ear, then leaned over and whispered a detailed description of what she had on before he could put his helmet on."

"Uh, Ron? Earth to Ron? Hello, we've got a party to go to."

"Sorry, KP, kinda zoned out there. Had to think of other things for a bit so it would be safe riding this bike, if you know what I mean. Do I get a peek?"

"Not until it's time to give me the appropriate jewelry." She said, waving her left hand at him before wrapping her arms around his waist. He kick started the bike and headed off.

With only two high schools serving the city, Middleton and Eastside, the student population was fairly spread out, so it would take just a little while to get to the party itself. The subdivision wasn't quite as affluent as Kim's, but the houses were large and neat, though a little more closely packed. It kind of reminded them of the fictional street those…anxious…women inhabited on that Sunday night show.

Just as advertised the party itself was hard to miss. Maybe a dozen cars were already parked on the lawn, with many more lining the winding street, wrapping around the corner lot. They found a clear spot and parked the bike.

"Listen, Ron, I know you're stoked about this party, but if things are getting out of hand, like too many people drinking or worse, we're leaving, 'kay?"

"Sure thing, KP." He reached for the doorbell. "Cary said there'd be music and stuff to eat, you know, normal party stuff."

"Well, that's what I'm afraid of. We haven't really gone to these things but I do hear about them. Just be…wait a minute. Just who invited you?"

"It's a new guy. I didn't' get his last name, but he actually recognized me. It was so cool."

Cary? He recognized Ron? This is his house!

She was about to hit Ron with a whole battery of questions as the door opened. Standing there with a grin that would make a toothpaste commercial proud was Cary Allen On.

"Hey, guys, glad you could make it. Come on in, let me get you something to drink."

The door closed behind them and for some reason Kim could feel icy talons gripping her chest.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	12. Part XII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XII**

* * *

Of the more than two hundred students in the senior class, perhaps half of them were somehow shoe-horned into Cary's house. Kim and Ron arrived just after dusk and it seemed it had already been going on for some time. Music was being pumped throughout the house with an expensive looking built-in multi-room stereo system. The driving 'euro/techno' music was so loud it was difficult to even carry on a conversation.

Kim eyed their host warily as he made his way to the snack table to pour them some sodas. "Ron, why didn't you tell me it was Cary that invited you?"

"I dunno. It didn't seem important. You know this guy?"

"Yeah, he's in my first and third period classes." They both had to hold a hand over one ear and lean into the other to be heard.

"Huh. Oh well, we're here for the party, not just to visit with him."

Kim nodded in response as the senior in question brought them their drinks. "Hey, make yourselves at home. Sorry if you wanted diet, I underestimated how much to get and some of the girls that got here earlier guzzled it down already. There's punch and nachos and layer dip, all sorts of stuff."

"Looks cool! Is anybody dancing yet?" Ron shouted at him, giving him a thumbs up.

"You betcha!" He returned Ron's salute and headed off. As their host left them to mingle with other guests he noticed Kim carefully sniffing the drink. Almost automatically he did the same.

"Smells like cola to me." Ron said. "Something the matter?"

"I don't know. So far Cary's seemed awful nice, but my weirdar is going off a little bit."

"Think he might try to spike it or something?" Ron eyed his own drink warily as they meandered through the room.

"Like I said, I don't know. Look, maybe it's a good idea if we got our own drinks, preferably from a can or an unopened bottle. This guy might be perfectly trustworthy, but there are a lot of people in here and I'm willing to bet the punch is already spiked."

"Gotcha." He said as he 'watered' a handy plant. Kim followed suit and carried the two cups to the kitchen where a large waste bin had been set up. "Time for Rondo to work the room and impress the lay-days with my bon-diggity moves."

Kim gently grabbed the collar of his black dress shirt and pulled him in for a quick, warm kiss. "Hey, remember, some of those moves belong to a certain 'lay-day' exclusively."

He laid a hand on the bare portion of her hip and kissed her right back. "Mmmm. Maybe we should blow this joint and just show each other our moves."

"Later, Ron. Like you said, we're here to see and be seen. I do like the way you think though." She grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him again, this time longer and deeper, not caring how crowded the room was. She had already seen other party-goers doing the same thing so it felt natural. Somehow she found herself leaning into him, pressing her body against his as they kissed. He started lightly sucking on her neck, getting into the embrace.

"Hey, cool it, mister. It's a long time before I can wear something that covers those up." She whispered in his ear, wrapping both arms around his waist.

"Sorry, KP." He said, nuzzling her ear. The music changed, switching to a slow ballad. "Come on, let's find where the dancing is."

"Right here is just fine." She said, putting her head on his shoulder and swaying in time with it, feeling like she was alone with him as they danced. The other couples in the room who weren't sitting were all doing the same thing. She closed her eyes and pretended they were back at the prom, dancing for the first time. Ghostly images from a half remembered dream flitted through her mind as his hands kneaded the small of her back. Some time during the song they started kissing again, not stopping even when another heavy dance-track replaced the ballad.

Finally they separated and started milling about the room, watching for a chance to snag a choice spot on a sofa. It didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon. The folks who got there ahead of them had staked out all the choice locations. Giving up they made their way to what must have been the den. The furniture had been pushed aside or removed, making plenty of room for a modest sized dance floor.

She marveled how Ron could dance with such abandon. For a man who could trip over his own shoelaces, even tied he was incredibly coordinated when it came to his steps. An Oh Boyz song started and he perfectly mimicked the moves from the video, adding his own from time to time, lip-synching right along with it. Kim found herself backing up just to watch him.

Kim wasn't the only one. More and more dancers were doing the same thing, forming a sort of circle around him, all still swaying and gyrating to the beat while watching him. His dance moved into a retro-break-dance, spinning first on his back, then his head. The applause was almost deafening as the song ended.

Ron ended his dance with a spin and split he used in his "Mad Dog" routine. "Booyah!" he shouted as Kim helped him up. The music had changed to rock and wasn't much to dance to at the moment.

"Why didn't we go like this more often before?" Kim asked as she leaned her back into him. His arms wrapped around her waist, clasping over her belly button.

"We used to, before you started getting into boys."

"Why didn't I see that then?" She mused, partly to him, partly to herself. "Seems like everyone else did."

"That's cause we were just going to those things as friends. Hey, the last time we actually did that we were like fourteen. Then I got locked in that closet for three days."

"Honey, don't go there. It makes me sick just thinking I did that to you."

"It doesn't bother me any more, KP. Maybe if we'd gotten together back then we wouldn't have what we have now."

She looked back at him. He was smiling. Not a silly grin but a sort of peaceful contentment. He was likely right. If they had started dating back then she would not have gone through the learning process she had where it came to the 'good looking' boys. She knew she wasn't just pretty, she was a hottie and in her arrogance she assumed it was her rightful place to have an equally hot young man to date. It took a couple more years for her to realize there was a lot more to fulfilling her heart than that.

As the evening wore on they made a couple passes at the snack table, Ron pronouncing judgment on the relative quality of the homemade tex-mex, basically how it compared to his touchstone of Bueno Nacho. To Kim the food was actually a little better than they served since it had been made by hand in a kitchen instead of pre-packaged stuff the restaurant just had to heat up.

Certain people were conspicuous by their absence. For one, Monique wasn't there, which in itself was strange. She didn't usually miss this sort of thing and she was looking forward to dishing with her while Ron was gabbing with the other guys or fast-dancing with some of the other girls there.

She found it interesting that it didn't really bother her watching him dance with them. It wasn't like he was dancing with just one, two, sometimes three of them would gather around him, trying to emulate his dance moves, though she did notice Tara there quite a bit. She shoved that dark thought out of her mind since wherever the blonde was, so was Hope. The three of them were apparently forming their own new clique, which, considering the upheaval in the cheer squad, would be a good thing.

The other person missing was Bonnie. Considering every single one of the school's power players were here tonight, her absence was nothing short of shocking.

A few people, she did note, were drinking beer. She was glad she told Ron they would leave if the party was getting out of hand and not if there was any alcohol present at all. Such a stricture would likely keep them out of every party ever thrown. Somehow the harder drinks always tended to show up. She knew she wasn't going to get into any of it and neither would Ron. Both of them had tasted beer with the permission of their parents and both had wondered exactly why people actually drank that stuff.

It was hot that night and oddly humid for Colorado, so she found herself sipping constantly from her drink. She was nursing it, since there were no more unopened bottles on the table and she didn't trust everyone to behave. It was funny, though, that her drink wasn't getting hot and flat, despite her cup never quite getting more than half empty. She found she didn't care. Another slow song finally started and she downed the last of her cup in one gulp.

She was quite okay with Ron fast-dancing with others, but when it came to the slow stuff he was all hers. Immediately her arms were wrapped around him and her head was on his shoulder as they swayed to the music. Regardless of her warning to him earlier she started in on his neck. Ron wore high collars most of the time anyway and school was out Monday for Labor Day anyhow. Still, come Tuesday he was going to have a little something to show off. She was leaving her mark on him!

"Um, KP, isn't this the sort of thing for a more private dance?" He whispered in her ear as her hands moved a little further south than normal in public.

"I've got you all to my private self right here and now." She giggled, giving him a little squeeze before bringing her hands back up to his waist. She snuggled him close again and slipped a couple fingers into this waistband. As the last bars of the song started she kissed him again, her hand slipping just a little further down, finding the tail of his tucked-in shirt.

The music morphed into a more upbeat tempo, something that was part Salsa, part dance mix. Their dance increased in speed to match, but she wasn't about to let him go, the music lending itself perfectly for a bit of dirty dancing. Other party-goers quickly followed suit, grinding against each other in time with the music. She laughed out loud as they ended the dance with a dip.

"Hey, didn't your Nana suggest taking up ball-room dancing?" Ron said.

"Yeah, that might be fun after all!" She laughed as he pulled her up from the dip. Another rock tune started up so they left the dance floor. Kim found her drink and took another big gulp of it as Ron made his way to the snacks.

_Oh, he's got such a nice butt_! She thought as he walked away. _Nice and firm and it's no wonder his pants keep falling down, he has absolutely no hips, which is exactly what I like._ She wriggled a little in time with the music, mentally replaying their dancing in her head, imagining what it would be like to dance with a little less on. _Or a lot less on!_

She realized she was sweating freely now. It was so hot! Especially with so many people crowded into the house. Maybe that's why she was so thirsty. She took another gulp of her cola. It was really getting hot and flat, but it was the only thing she could trust. She polished it off and set the cup down as Ron returned with a couple plates.

"Hade enough yet KP?" He asked, handing her a selection of chips and cookies.

"Hell no. I had no idea this was so much fun. Come on, Baby, let's dance some more." She set the food down beside her cup and pulled him back out there, dancing with abandon, not caring any more how hot it was or how sweaty her new clothes were getting. She wanted to dance with her Ron!

Dancing had never been like this. She was so getting into it. Her moves were getting wilder and wilder as the music pulsed. The music slowed just a bit and she wrapped herself around him again.

_Wow, I've never danced till I was dizzy before!_

Almost on cue the dance-track ended and she went back to her snack, taking a sip of her drink to wash it down. Ron sat down with her, his hair matted with sweat.

"Oh, I bet we smell lovely now!" He shouted over the rock anthem blaring over the speakers.

Kim nibbled on his shoulder. "Damn you smell good right now. Good enough to eat!" She pulled his collar down and started nibbling on his neck again.

"KP, maybe we should get going. It is getting late."

"I'm not ready to go home yet. I'm here to party with you." She stuck her hand behind him, this time reaching all the way down the back of his pants. "Hey, want to see what the upstairs looks like?" With her free hand she downed what was left in her cup.

Something went click behind Ron's eyes. Kim didn't look right to him. He wriggled her hand free of his pants and took a good look at her. Her eyes were half-lidded and bloodshot, her damp hair was partly stuck to her face. There was absolutely nothing left of her lipstick considering they had kissed it all off a long time ago and her makeup was slightly smudged.

"Come on, Ronnie. Let's go upstairs and find some place to get out of these sweaty things." She said, running a finger down his chest.

That was it for him. She was slurring her words so badly he knew what had happened. She had lost track of her drink and somebody had been topping it off, and not just with cola. He grabbed her cup and took a whiff. The smell wasn't strong, but it was there. Probably vodka or ever clear, something that didn't have a distinctive odor, he didn't know what. He just knew there were certain things you could mix with sodas that wouldn't taste strongly of the liquor. Even so, she was apparently past the point where that even mattered.

"Ronnie, why don't you get me a refill. Scratch that, I need filling. I need an injection of the Ron Factor." She started tugging on his belt, again gnawing at his neck.

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. She was to the point she could hardly stand on her own. He propped her arm over his shoulder and headed for the door. Once outside her down on the curb.

"Honey, the bedrooms are back that way." She pointed at the house.

Ignoring her he pulled out his communicator. He'd only had it since his birthday and hadn't yet mastered all the unmarked buttons. He needed somebody and he needed them now so he punched the one button that always got a response.

"Hey, Ron, what's up. I was just about to go to bed." Wade said. He was already wearing pajamas.

"Wade, patch me through to Kim's house. I need one of her parents right now."

"What's wrong?"

"We're at a party and somebody spiked Kim's drink. Hurry, I don't know what to do."

"Okay, I'm on it."

"Thanks Wade. You do rock."

He turned to check on Kim, who was passed out on the sidewalk.

* * *

Cary looked out the window as the bronze Jaguar pulled away, followed closely by a battered looking black motorcycle and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hi, Dad?...Yeah, it's me, Cary…yep, I've got it all under control…no, I haven't made my move yet, still sowing the seeds…no…Mom did what? Oh, man, that sucks…no, it doesn't matter. I'll be eighteen in a couple months and the custody order won't mean crap…yes, I know, you won't have to worry about the empty nest for much longer…I love you too and give my – _love_ – to Mom through your lawyers…bye!"

He closed the phone and stuck it in his pocket, heading toward his bedroom and a very beautiful young woman waiting there for him.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	13. Part XIII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XIII**

* * *

James Timothy Possible was by no means a large man. In fact, in physical stature he was the pure definition of average. Yet, as he carried his unconscious daughter upstairs he looked terrifyingly huge to Ron. The sight of Kim in his arms, blessedly sleeping off the effects of the alcohol, made him seem almost ten feet tall, a towering edifice of protective father. She looked like a small child, not a young woman on the verge of adulthood cradled that way.

Not knowing what else to do, Ron stopped at the foot of her loft stairs as both mother and father went up to care for her. He knew he was in trouble, more trouble than he ever had been before. All the trust those two put in him had been flushed away, and for what? Just to increase his standings in the "Food Chain?" Instead now Kim had been hurt and it was his fault. He shouldn't have insisted they go to the party. He knew what could happen. Kim would never willingly drink like that so somebody had done this to her. It was his job to have her back, not spend his evening making a fool of himself in front of other women.

This was it, the absolute worst case scenario. Minutes crept by as he stared at the stairway. Up there was his doom, the man he respected most in the world, perhaps even more than his own father. Any moment now he would come down the stairs, a look of righteous fury on his face. He didn't say a word when he pulled up at the party, quietly loading her into the back seat. In fact, the only time he had spoken since calling them twenty minutes earlier was a terse order to get his bike and follow him home. He did so knowing full well he was driving to his own execution.

Right now he didn't see where he had any choice except to wait and take it like a man. Everything in his heart told him to run back downstairs, kick-start his bike and go home to hide. The near adult in him told him that would only make matters worse, if they actually could be from this point. If their was any way to salvage their relationship, at least as far as her parents were concerned, he would have to take what came, no matter how harsh it was. The growing logical side of his mind knew that Mr. Dr. Possible would not actually send him into outer space or do him any physical harm. No, he had more potent weapons than that in his arsenal. All he had to do was speak the words, "You shall not see my daughter any more."

That would indeed be the end. Certainly, once they turned eighteen they could do exactly as they pleased, but Kim would not willingly turn her back on her family, not even for him. Come Tuesday they would only have thirteen years. The ties that bound her to him couldn't be as strong as blood, especially considering how tightly knit the Possible family was. If her father told her that it was over between her and Ron, she was going to honor that, even if it meant severing a relationship that he considered the most wonderful thing in his life.

Oh, he would take Kim over his own parents any day of the week. What they had was too important to him, though such a thought filled him with shame. Honor thy Father and thy Mother was in his Holy Scriptures as well. Be that as it may, though, his love for Kim was beyond that, something he would risk even damnation for. Like it or not, his family was most definitely no 'close-knit.' It was far from dysfunctional but he still felt like he could leave tomorrow if he had to.

Or could he, without Kim?

She was the source of all the extremes in his life. She lifted his soul, but she also led him nearly to death on several separate occasions. She gave his life meaning, but also sent him into the depths of despair when he realized just how much he cared for her. She was the source of his strength, yet his greatest weakness.

He was also deathly scared for Kim's safety. There was absolutely no way to know how much she had. He held onto the faint hope she hadn't really had much and it was her inexperience with drink and her tiny stature that left her so inebriated. Then again he knew that if she had too much the alcohol could reach toxic levels, making her very sick or even killing her.

Ron didn't even consider how much he might have had. He took Kim's warning to heart and only had one canned soda he opened himself, planning to down plenty of caffeine free drinks at Bueno Nacho afterwards, knowing he would be safe there. He just never suspected that somebody was topping Kim's drink off in secret.

In hindsight, maybe her writing "KP" on her cup with a sharpie had been a bad idea after all. Everyone else had been doing it, since just about everyone was drinking out of those non-descript red plastic cups.

They really should have gone to the dance club anyway. Sure, the same thing could potentially happen there, but the crowd was certainly a lot less wild and the establishment kept pretty tight control of who was served beer and mixed beverages. It took two days to get the 'underage' stamp off the back of their hand every time they went.

He realized just how thirsty he really was as he tried to hear what was being said in hushed tones in Kim's darkened room. He imagined, over and over what her Dad was going to look like when he came down those stairs. It was going to happen sooner or later since he couldn't fathom her Mom allowing him to remain in the room as she undressed her and put her to bed. When that happened the real fireworks would begin.

The still-dominant immature side of his mind thought that it was such a shame this wouldn't come from them getting caught making love. At least that would have been a wonderful last act of their relationship rather than Kim being sick and him waiting distraught outside of her room. Only he knew then the retribution would have been much more swift, the horrible things the man had threatened all the more likely.

The whispering had stopped and he steeled himself, ready for the inevitable. _Take it like a man_ he told himself over and over. A shadow fell on the black ironwork steps and his heart started racing all over again. The urge to flee became almost overpowering.

_Take it like a man_.

As expected, James Possible was walking down the steps alone, quietly closing the hatch behind him, also shutting the door halfway down, turning the knob so the latch didn't make a sound. Slowly he turned toward him, time slowing down as he did so.

There wasn't the look of fury he expected on his face. Instead worry was etched there, making the man look so much older than his forty-four years.

"Ronald, we need to talk." He said quietly, motioning downstairs.

Silently he thanked Kim's mother. Apparently she had somehow convinced her husband to deal with this calmly, perhaps telling him to treat Ron as an adult instead of a misbehaving child. With as much courage as he could muster he followed the elder Possible down through the sitting room and into the family room. Finally he stood there, waiting for the inevitable.

His heart nearly stopped when James reached for him but instead of being bodily dragged around the house the man caught him up in a ferocious hug. After a few minutes he let the stunned boy go.

"I'm so sorry Dr. P. This is all my fault. I should have never asked Kim to go to that party."

"Ronald, listen to me. This is not your fault. I don't even think this is Kim's fault. I don't want you feeling bad about this in any way except to be worried about her. You did the absolute best thing you could have possibly done in this situation."

"I did?"

"Yes. The moment you realized Kimmie-cub was in trouble the first thing you thought of was to call us. If it had been worse then maybe you should have called an ambulance, but I don't think she's nearly that bad." He reached for him and crushed his shoulders again. "I can't tell you how much that sort of thing means to us, all of us. It means the faith we have put in you with our daughter has been well founded.

"I've always feared something like this can happen. Now, I won't know until she gets over this and we can talk to her what really happened so for right now all we're going to do is make sure she's okay."

"Is she okay?"

"Her mother seems to think so. Kimmie's never had anything more than a sip of beer or a glass of wine, so she has no idea how something stronger will affect her. I just can't say how much it means that the first though you had was to call us. I've always worried that somebody would try to take advantage of this kind of situation. Instead you were more worried about her than trying to do that or to try and cover this sort of thing up."

"Is KP in trouble?"

"Maybe. That depends on what she tells us. Personally, I don't think she would willingly drink like that. What can you tell me about what happened?"

"Well, we got there and danced a lot. We tried talking with our friends but the music was so loud we had a hard time doing that."

"Was there drinking going on there?" He asked, his face still showing signs of his worry.

"I saw some of the guys with beers, but I assumed they brought them themselves. The only things being served at the snack table were bottled pop and punch, maybe a couple canned drinks. That's what I had. Sir, Kim even told me not to drink anything we didn't get ourselves and swore off the punch in case it was spiked."

"Good, that sounds like my Kimmie-cub. You sure you never saw anyone putting anything in her drink."

"No sir, I'm sorry, I should have had he back better. I was just too into the fun. I guess I should have paid more attention."

James put a hand on his shoulder. "Son, there's nothing you could have done differently. You've never been a part of that scene so you just didn't know. I would have much preferred you went out on one of your usual dates, but I'm not upset with you about this. I know you love her too much to put her into some kind of danger the two of you don't know how to handle."

"Believe me, I'm never going to a party again."

"Ronald, you're seventeen, I don't think that's a very realistic thing to say. Just learn from it and be more careful in the future."

Anne came in the room carrying a small bundle.

"How is she." James asked, beating Ron to the question.

"Kimmie's asleep. Ron, I don't think she's going to be in any kind of shape to go to services with you in the morning."

"It's okay, Mrs. Dr. P. As long as Kim's alright."

She nodded and pulled him into a hug as well, letting him know she felt the same way about his decisions that evening.

"Ronald, are you sure you're okay to ride home? I can drive you if you want, it's okay for your bike to stay here." James said.

"I'm good. Like I said, the only thing I had was out of a can. Tell Kim I'll call her in the morning." He said, turning toward the door.

"You'll do no such thing." Kim's mother said. "On the outside chance they might have slipped something in your drink, I'll make up the couch for you." She handed him the bundle. It was one of his t-shirts and some shorts. "You really should have left the bike there. It may be off of Kim, but the smell is on you and if you get stopped, that's all it would take since you're under age."

"I really think I should go. My parents…"

"Ron, I've already called them and explained everything. They're not upset and they agree with me. Now go to the downstairs shower and get yourself cleaned up while I get a pillow and some blankets for you."

Kim's parents watched him go, both of them thinking how much they really loved the boy.

James was also thinking about how he would hurt the person that did this if he ever found out who it was…and that he would bring Ronald along to help.

* * *

Kim didn't know where she was when she woke up from a dreamless sleep. She didn't feel the least bit rested and her head was pounding furiously. Her mouth tasted awful and she could smell her own sweat. A sudden wave of nausea almost claimed her but she was able to hold on. It slowly dawned on her she was in her own room, the blinds down on her windows, cutting off the pale moonlight outside.

She reached for her touch-lamp and tapped it three times, turning it on to full power. The meager bulb that normally was just enough to see by was now brighter than the sun. She hastily tapped the brass base a few more times, cycling through the settings until it was on as low as possible.

Even the ghostly green numbers of her alarm clock seemed brighter than normal. It was just past four in the morning and she knew her body craved more sleep. Yet that would not come easily with the vice currently crushing her skull.

She swung her feet out of the bed, fighting back another wave of nausea. _What had happened to her?_ The last thing she remembered was slow dancing with Ron at the party, alternately dancing with him and making out. Now it was early Saturday (Saturday?) morning and she was in her own bed, wearing nothing but her underwear.

Kim sat on the edge of the bed, holding her scalp. Her hair was still damp from sweat, though she didn't know if it was from the party or from her fitful sleep. Some part of her mind started wondering how she got into her home and into her bed. Who had undressed her?

_What the hell had happened?_

She noticed a bottle of ibuprofen and a glass of water on her nightstand. That told her it was likely her mother had put her to bed and was expecting her condition. The pieces started falling into place.

She had been drunk.

How that had happened she had no Earthly clue. She had been so careful to get her own drinks, to the point she knew she was going to be ferociously thirsty afterwards. The party had just been so much fun, at least what she could remember of it. She recalled giving Ron a hickey as they danced.

Oh lord! Had she actually done that? She must have been pretty far gone by that point. It was something they teased each other about from time to time, but 'tagging' each other wasn't something they had seriously considered.

After fighting with the cap for a few minutes she finally managed to get four of the little green capsules out, taking the maximum dosage and draining the glass. Hopefully that would be enough to dull the throbbing that seemed to start at her forehead and spread all the way across her scalp. Somehow even her hair hurt.

With some difficulty she managed to change into her regular night clothes, not wanting to chance anyone besides her mother seeing her go downstairs to the bathroom in the fancy black underwear. By the time she got in there she couldn't hold it any more. What little was in her stomach decided it was much better off outside. It didn't help the last time she had hurled was helping her Mom at the Medical Center, the thought of an exposed human brain made her retch all that much more. At least by the time she finished what she came for and washed her face she felt somewhat better. Only then she realized she would have to take a couple more ibuprofens, considering they hadn't even had close to enough time to be absorbed.

As she carefully shut the bathroom door she heard a soft voice. "Kimmie?"

"Mom… I'm so, so sorry, I didn't…"

"Shhhhh. Just go back to bed and try to get some sleep. We'll all talk about this in the morning."

"But Ron…"

"Ron is just fine. He's downstairs on the couch right now." She reached out and gently but firmly gripped Kim's shoulder as she started to turn that way. "No, I don't think you would be very good company for him right now."

"Daddy's not going to kill him, is he."

"No, he's not. Ron made all of us very proud last night. The moment he realized what happened to you he called us. Now, go back to bed young lady." Even in the dim light of the hallway she could see her expression brooked no argument."

"Yes Ma'am." She slumped a little. At least getting some of the stuff out of her made her head a little better.

Kim mounted the stairs, worried sick what her boyfriend thought of her now.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	14. Part XIV

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XIV**

* * *

Summer was not quite ready to give up its hold on Lake Middleton. School may have started and the calendars had turned their backs on the months traditionally associated with the hot season but it was still quite hot, even just a bit humid, though that may have been the result of two days of rain. Saturday and Sunday turned gray and gloomy, the wet weather ranging from an annoying mist to a steady rain, though it didn't even show a sign of clearing up until early on Monday morning.

With the exception of sleeping well past noon and having a long conversation with her parents, both with and without Ron, Kim was trying to put the unpleasantness of Friday night and Saturday morning behind her. The rain had settled in, pretty much stranding his bike at her house (he so ferociously needed fenders and wet-weather gear) so they borrowed the mini-van and headed for the mall (Ron drove…just in case.) They remainder of the day mostly holding hands, Ron going way out of his way to let Kim come to terms with what had happened to her on her own, all the while knowing he was right there for her. That lasted, well, until dinner time.

"Okay, Ron. That's enough. I'm not having a pity fiesta about this. It's no different than getting banged up by one of the bad guys. Somebody tried to hurt me, I took my lumps and now I'm over it."

"Sorry, KP…actually I was just a little more worried about this being 'third week' and you having a hangover."

That brought her up short. She forgot sometimes that Ron had such complex knowledge of her to expect when she was likely to be PMSing. "Oh, so you're worried about waking the 'Queen Mother' of all you know whats?"

"It does rhyme with 'sitch.'" He sing-songed back at her, putting a hand on the middle of her back. He did note she had reverted back to one of her older outfits, namely her ubiquitous green tank top and a pair of denim capris (Club Banana label, of course.) It was actually surprising to see her dressed like that. Over the last few months she had actively avoided wearing it. She wore the combo so often some people assumed she owned nothing else. It did make him wonder if he would ever see the low-cut jeans again. If not, that would be such a shame.

There was one benefit, though. "Ah, the white cotton ones with the little cherries and mint sprigs on them." He said, exaggerating the motion of looking down the gap at the waist.

"Ron!" She popped him on the shoulder, her cheeks flushing. The embarrassment didn't last too long, as she wrapped both arms around his arm as they made their way from store to store. She put her head on his shoulder, letting him lead them.

They were shopping "Kim's" way, namely going into almost every store and at least having a look around. She gave him the hairy eyeball when he didn't protest about going into Alexandria's Confession.

"No pity fiesta, Ron." She chided.

"Nope. I'm here for purely professional reasons."

"Oh, really? What kind of pro are you today?"

"Professional Boyfriend." He smirked. "The 'Rules' quite clearly state that only the most devoted of lovers will follow their girlfriend slash significant other into these places." He looked around at the 'female forms' placed strategically around, adorned in the stores wares. "Okay, now I'm convinced, that pink pair you had last spring was relatively tame."

"Professional my foot, you just want me to show you what I was wearing last night."

"Well, there is that…but that's okay. I'm having enough impure thoughts as it is right now. Check me on this, guys won't come in here why?"

"Guys are stupid." She said, pointing to an acrylic statue of a woman's lower portion. "Just like those, but in black."

A few seconds went by. Then a few more. Finally she waved her hand in front of his face. "Yo, Rondo. Earth to Ron. Whoa, don't unspool the drool on me there loverboy."

"Sorry, KP, just picturing you in those. Wow, they cover more yet they're actually hotter than that 'sunburn' bikini you wore at the beach."

"Oh, don't remind me of that. I pitched that thing so quick. You know I've still got some tan lines from it?"

"Really?" He smirked at her as she picked out several pairs of more sedate panties, along with a cotton version of the 'cheeky low-riders.

"No, you can't see them." She said as she went to the counter. As the girl was totaling them up she turned around and whispered to him, "In here."

She led him back out into the open part of the mall. "Ron, I remember most of what happened now, at least up till you took me out the door. Is it because I wasn't feeling well that you didn't want to go upstairs with me?"

"KP, it's not like I don't think about that, it's just, considering what we've gone through and some of the things we decided. When you started acting like that it just seemed, well, wrong. Plus you were all sweaty and you were starting to talk funny."

"Gee, thanks."

"Kim, I also know that when you really start coming on to me and you mean it, you, uh, well, you kinda get scared, like you did at the beach. You can be all badical and wild when we're making out but if we start to go too far you kinda go all 'little girl' on me and we back down."

"That's not how I remember a couple other times we tried. Well, I tried."

"Yeah, but I'm talking about, you know, when we actually got in bed together. Even that time Wade interrupted us I think we were both stalling."

"But you do think about it?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm supposed to, I'm a guy."

"Ron, I think about it…a lot and I'm not a guy."

"You really think with all this thinking about it we're actually going to make it till we're eighteen? Or older?"

She gave him a light kiss. "Yes. The mature and responsible adult I was out with last night is going to make sure we make it."

"I dunno, Kim. When you wear those tight new jeans, it's really hard."

"I bet it is. Too bad both pairs are in the laundry, though I don't think that top can be salvaged."

"Oh, so you're going to wear them again. Ah, Booyah!"

"So not the drama. I paid eighty bucks for the black pair, you're darned toot'n I'm wearing them again…just not to school any more. I think Rock Banner put a hand on my butt and that new guy sits behind me. I don't know what it is about him, but there is something under those good looks."

"Oh, so you did notice he's a pretty boy."

"Yeah. That bugged me when I met him, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this time I'm in love. I can look, but I can't touch."

"Oh, you wanna touch him?" Ron said in a funny voice, wagging his eyebrows.

"Yeah, but I'd also like to touch most of the male cast of _Agony County_ and that one guy on _Pals_. Doesn't mean I'm going to."

Ron nodded, done teasing her. "So, food court or BN?" He asked as they got up and resumed their store-to-store trek.

"Neither. I'm thinking real grilled meat."

"Um, isn't that what we're having at the big Possible family cookout Monday?"

She turned and seriously looked him in the eye. "Ron, you haven't missed a single Labor Day cookout since I've known you, you know Dad insists on doing all the cooking. Dad, as in who I inherited all my cooking skills from? Dad whose idea of fixing dinner is picking up Chow Fung?"

"Oh, I just thought somebody made a mistake and put a piece of charcoal on my bun last year. Seriously, it's all taken care of. Your Mom and me hatched a plan while you were asleep this morning. It's gonna be 'Knowing your Grill with Chef Ron-Ald and his lovely assistant Doctor Anne!"

"Really? So how are you going to get the golden tongs away from the 'Grill-Master?'" She laughed remembering her fathers antics from the last cookout.

They spent much of the day like that, just hanging out, talking, wandering from store to store never really buying much, just enjoying each other's company. Since they missed Temple that morning Ron went with her to church the following day. Sunday afternoon was spent watching movies and consuming mass quantities of popcorn. Kim even went on a Jelly Jumpies binge, after which she swore she would never eat one of those gooey, overly sweet, supposedly fruit flavored candies again. There really was a reason she wanted to cut down on the Jumpies. The first few always tasted so good, but by the time you finished the pack…yuck.

Halfway through the second movie (the first they honestly watched with keen interest, the second…well, let's just say two people in love can find a way to enjoy even a bad film) the inevitable happened. Ron almost jumped out of his seat as his communicator went of in silent mode. Wade had apparently installed a much more powerful shaker than his old pager had. Rufus popped out of his pocket, holding the omni-device over his head, glaring at his human as he rubbed his scalp.

Getting his out was pointless anyhow. Kim had hers out and active before the first ring stopped vibrating.

As missions go, it was utterly dull. There were no freaks to fight, no indication that any of their old foes were even involved. It was a simple case of stolen technology.

"I don't know why we even bothered to change." Ron grumped as they went back to the van.

"I think I agree with you." She said, pulling her Kimmunicator out. "Wade, why exactly were we pulled in on this and not the regular police?"

"I don't know, we got a hit on the site from the owners. Thought it might be a good change of pace from all that gushy stuff."

"Wade." Kim growled at him over the connection. "I like the gushy stuff. There's a reason my lip gloss is called 'Kissy Girl.'"

"Riiight. Anyway, you'll find this interesting. The place is owned by Margaret On. She's the mother of one of your classmates."

"Really." Kim's eyes narrowed. "This is starting to get really weird. Seems like every time I turn around this new guy turns up."

Wade pulled up some files. "Nothing really special about him. Near the top of his class at Go City Central High. Only child, mother divorced. Yadda-yadda, lots of boring stuff. Mother owns a chain of, ahem, high-tech retail gadgets. Maybe he's crushing on you." He leaned forward toward the pickup, raising an eyebrow.

"Shu-ut! She hissed, glancing over at Ron, who looked right back at her, mimicking Wade's expression.

"Well, tell them to turn this over to the regular police. There isn't much we can do ourselves."

"You got it. Have a good time at the lake tomorrow."

At least the sun was up and the streets were dry by the time Ron made it over to the house on Labor Day. It was still several hours before the rest of the fam would head over to Lake Middleton State Park, so they piled onto his bike and tooled around, just enjoying a long ride, eventually ending up at the Mount Middleton Ski Lodge. Surprisingly, the place was actually open. It used to be completely shuttered during the summer months, but the parking lot was nearly full of cars with expensive looking bike racks on them. The management had apparently found a way to supplement their snowy season income by catering to mountain bikers.

"It would be so cool if it could just be the two of us up here this winter."

"It would be so cool if you didn't run off looking for snow monsters and getting captured by DNAmy."

"Yeah, but I'm talking about just the two of us in a room, one with a fireplace and lots of hot cocoa."

"Hmmm, well, not this year, but next. Even Seniors get chaperones on the school ski trip. Though it would be nice. All cold outside, me needing to get warmed up…" She gave him a quick pinch on the backside and swung her leg back over the bike. "Come on, I'm driving back down the mountain."

The ride was only slightly less terrifying than ski-diving for Ron. That did it, he was definitely getting new tires on the bike.

They hit the lake the moment they got to the park, glad for the chance to cool down and even though Kim wore a one-piece suit, she still snuck a chance to show Ron some of her tan lines.

There was also one little thing on Ron that was clearly visible since he had taken off his shirt. Her mother had already spotted it, despite its being more on his shoulder than his neck but now the whole world could see the dark purple hickey she'd given him at the party.

She also swore that, in no uncertain terms, she would seriously kick his biscuit if he tried to lay one on her. That didn't stop him from trying.

The rest of the family arrived while they were still out in the water, Ron pretending to teach Kim how to swim (it was a great excuse for holding onto her under the water.) "Soon, very soon, I'm expecting the Ferret Signal." He said in his best Fearless Ferret voice. Kim stood up in the water and watched what was going on at the beach.

Her father was unloading a complicated looking gas grill from the back of the van. It was obviously cobbled together from things lying around the space center. Hey, what's federal funding for?

They watched him tinker with it as her mother set the picnic table, shaking her head from time to time. After a few minutes she watched her brothers look at each other and tear off running for the water, splashing their way out to her and Ron.

James was looking downright frustrated. Finally he quit missing with the buttons on the front of the grill and got out a box of matches.

"Hick-a-bick-a-boo?" Tim asked.

"Hoo-sha!" Ron said, quietly enough only the four of them could hear. Kim was actually shocked that it was Ron who answered instead of Jim. Somehow she knew whatever Ron and her mother had cooked up, the Tweebs were most likely in on it.

Her father struck a match and carefully threw it at the grill. There was a 'poof' sound they could hear all the way out in the water. Then there was a pinging sound, like bullets ricocheting off metal. The grill started jumping around in fits and starts.

Then the fuel really ignited and, no, a great gout of flame did not erupt out of the top of it, singing every hair in a ten foot radius. Instead flames shot out of the _bottom_ of the grill.

To say the sight was spectacular just doesn't do it justice. A stainless steel gas grill arcing up into the heavens is not a sight most people get to see very often.

"J200 rocket fuel…" Jim said.

"..does it every time." Tim finished.

Kim had to hold onto her sides she was laughing so hard as Ron made his way to shore and the charcoal kettle grill Mrs.Dr.P. had stashed in the van. The Grill Master had been vanquished!

* * *

A/N – a special "Booyah" to MrDrP for his plug. Thanks!

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	15. Part XV

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XV**

* * *

Tuesday morning felt like another fresh start. Having a holiday after only one week of school made it feel like they were easing into the year. It also used to mean both of them sitting and listening to Mr. Barkin rant for about fifteen minutes about the excesses of federal holidays and how when he was an officer in the armed forces (which branch he oddly never mentioned) he didn't have holidays off unless he put in for leave in advance. It was a nice break from his more customary hit-the-ground-running, let's-start-with-a-pop-quiz teaching technique. 

Well, Ron would probably have to endure that anyway, but he knew the material and if the overworked assistant principal derived any joy from watching his students squirm, he would be denied that bit of satisfaction from the former slacker, barring unforeseen mistakes or a curve ball from later in the course.

Kim was still walking on air after the wonderful three-day weekend she had with Ron. Shopping, movies, a non-starter of a mission and the family picnic at the lake all merged together in her mind, the only sour point being Saturday's start, which she chose not to dwell upon. Then too Ron had gone to his own home each night. She missed him mightily when he pulled away the night before, but she knew he still needed a good night's sleep in his own bed instead of the couch. Funny how he was still spending as many nights at her house now as when they were going on more missions.

"Ready for the first real practice with the new girls" Kim asked as they walked into the school. She was wearing Ron's leather jacket as the day dawned oddly cool and she was wearing just a teal t-shirt and rust colored bell-bottoms. Ron had taken one look at her and put it on her, dealing with the cool wind in just his jersey and turtleneck. She had already teased him about making sure her 'tag' was well covered.

"I just hope they're going to be able to do your routines if we want to do good in the regionals this year." He said, slipping out of his backpack and throwing it over one shoulder.

"What in the world?" Something was taped to the front of Kim's locker. It must have happened that morning since the janitorial staff would take that sort of thing down overnight.

"That looks like the robot from that cartoon on Sunday nights." Ron said, carefully peeling the tape off the door. "You know, the one that sounds a little like Doctor Drakken."

"I don't get it. I didn't even watch that when it was on…what do you mean he sounds like Drakken?"

"Well, it's not all the time, but when he laughs it sounds just like him. I even thought of asking Wade if he was doing voice acting."

Kim looked at the picture. Somebody had apparently downloaded a J-peg of the character and printed it out. There wasn't any writing or anything on it so she figured somebody had stuck it there at random.

She was just about to ball it up when Ron said, "He's pretty funny actually. He guzzles beer all the time and generally acts drunk."

Kim blanched. "Oh my God." She whispered, looking at the image again.

"Turns out he runs on alcohol and can't function without it. One time he almost rusted up when he tried going sober."

"Ron, what's his name?" She asked softly.

"Uh, Bender or something like that. He was a beam bender in a factory before he did whatever they do on that show. I haven't watched it in a long time.

Kim crumpled the paper up, growling.

"What's the matter, KP?"

"Ron, a drunk robot named 'Bender?' Hello, what do you think this means?"

"Somebody wants you to start a petition to bring 'Futurama' back? I dunno, they usually don't pay any attention to that sort of thing."

"Never mind." She said sharply, giving the lock a couple quick twists. She jammed her books into the locker, not caring the would be in the way of the fold-down monitor and slammed it shut. "I'll see you at lunch Ron." She turned away and headed down the hall, not noticing his hand extended for a goodbye squeeze.

She wanted to hurt someone and knew if she stayed with Ron too long she might say something she would regret. In the space of just a few minutes she had gone from the top of the world to a seething ball of petite muscular rage. There was another boy with yellow hair she wanted to find and rip him a new one.

Years of fostering a particular image were starting to unravel. First it was her open affection for Ron being interpreted as the two of them having sex constantly over the summer. Why was it simply having a committed relationship with someone always meant that? If Bonnie was going on about it, that meant others were too. Not everyone wanted to see her hurt like the tanning-bed queen but the rumor mills didn't care who they hurt.

Now apparently somebody had seen what happened to her at the party. More than likely it was the same person or persons who had spiked her drink repeatedly at the party. Probably having a good laugh about it right now, that was for sure.

_Great, I've gone from 'perfect princess' to 'drunk slut._' It didn't matter that she had entertained many thoughts about going all the way with Ron and honestly intended to do so some day, when the time was right, but she hadn't. Before the party she had never had more than a single glass of wine and didn't like that any more than she did the taste of beer. Whatever she had been given was purely meant to get her wasted, not for the pleasure of doing it.

Was Cary at fault? The thought was crossing her mind but she just couldn't picture a guy that seemed so nice doing that. What would he have to gain by doing that anyway, he seemed to be trying to establish himself in the food chain and she wasn't in any particular position to be 'knocked down.' That wasn't the way he was going about it. The party was a way to 'buy' his way into it. He had good looks and the attitude to become one of the popular kids if he could overcome being the new guy.

Yet there was the strange feeling she had about him. She had put it off to just being incompatible with him. It wasn't enough for her to reject being his friend and he honestly seemed to want that once she rebuffed his date request.

Then again, it was his party and he didn't seem all that concerned with all the beer she had seen. It was a freaking Senior's party and the vast majority where still seventeen, just like her. Not even close to twenty-one.

Yes, she was going to give him a piece of her mind about that. If he wanted to be her friend he was going to have to come up with some kind of explanation.

"Miss Possible."

She was in such a state she almost didn't hear the woman addressing her until she reached out and touched her shoulder.

"What?" She said, a little more harshly than she intended for an adult. She let out a slight gasp as she noticed who it was.

"Doctor Director? What are you doing at Middleton High?"

Something was different about the woman. Maybe it was the fact she was wearing a prim skirt-suit instead of her usual Global Justice jumpsuit. That wasn't completely it. Something else was missing…

"Where's you eye patch?" She said finally, realizing the woman in front of her was looking at her with two eyes. She somehow suspected it was there for show or some other purpose.

"I am afraid you have me confused with my younger sister Betty. I am Doctor Wilma Director. The Board of Education has assigned me as the new principal of this institution. Please come with me. I need to have a word with you."

"Um, I'm going to be late..."

"That was not a request young lady. I'm the director of this school, I can take a student out of class when ever I feel it appropriate."

Not knowing what else to do she followed the woman. Since when did the head of Global Justice have an older sister? All she knew about was her evil twin Sheldon. Well, she actually didn't know about him until he kidnapped Ron trying to find out what it was about her boyfriend that created the synergy that made Team Possible work.

Kim had to admit she really knew very little about the woman.

Wilma Director could have been another twin. Her hair was the same color, it was even cut the same way. If she was older it couldn't be more than a year or two. Just how old was Doctor Director anyway? She didn't look any older than her mid-thirties but her twin brother looked much older.

She was led into a nearly barren office. There was a desk, two chairs and several empty bookcases. There weren't even any boxes yet, making her wonder if the new principal had sought her out first thing upon her arrival.

"Miss Possible, I would like you to empty your pockets and your backpack onto the desk, please." She said curtly.

Her heart jumped a little. There wasn't anything in either that she was ashamed of, though sometimes things were forgotten. As the woman watched with keen interest she took her books and papers out, stacking them on the corner. There was also a folded up set of mission clothes and a pair of black combat sneakers. She frowned slightly when she realized her grapple gun was at home. There was a compact and a tube of lipstick (real lipstick) and a small cache of feminine supplies. The last would have been slightly embarrassing if a male faculty member had seen it, but what would they expect in a woman's belongings.

The only thing in her pockets was her Kimmunicator.

Wilma Director picked up the lipstick and examined it closely, as if she was expecting something else.

"What is this about?" Kim asked as the woman carefully looked through her belongings.

"Take a look at this." She unlocked a drawer on the desk and produced a thin lap top computer.

It was grainy footage from a security camera. Kim recognized the cafeteria despite the strange angle. With the touch of a few keys the image jumped to a table near the center of the room.

It was Kim, sitting with Ron. First they were playing with a pair of glasses, each trying them on in turn. Then she pulled out a tiny box. Her heart jumped when she realized what would come next.

The image wasn't incredibly clear and what happened wasn't all that visible in black and white but something appeared to shoot out of the ring, singing Ron's bangs. She hit a key and the last scene replayed once more.

"I am quite fully aware of what you do in you spare time Miss Possible. That's well good and fine…when it is not on school property. Perhaps you haven't realized it, but nationwide there is an epidemic of weapons on school grounds. Tell me, what would have happened if that…laser ring had been pointed an inch lower?"

"It's not like that. That ring saved my life later that week." Kim pleaded.

"Would that matter if it had put Mister Stoppable in the hospital? How would your friend look if that thing had taken out his eye or half his face?"

She was starting to shake. It never occurred to her that it might have hit more than his hair. The laser was meant as a cutting tool, but it was powerful enough to burn through titanium plate. The thought of Ron being permanently scarred made her heart ache. She had visions of his face covered in burn scars, perhaps even wearing a patch like the woman's sister.

Guessing where Kim's mind was she said, "Yes, that's what happened to my sister. In her case it was in the line of duty, back when you were still playing with baby dolls. Point of fact, you had a dangerous, potentially deadly weapon in your possession on school property. I don't care if it is some piece of sophisticated technology you use in your…hobby. It's no different than if you had a loaded pistol with you.

"Now I know what you're thinking. You wouldn't dream of using these things as weapons on people. That doesn't matter. The rules, no, the law is quite clear in this matter. No weapons. No grapple hook firing hair dryers, no lasers, no whatever those glasses do. This is not the place. Have you even considered what some of these students could do if they got their hands on these things and didn't have your training? Even so, you are not immune to accidents as the footage shows.

"Apparently the faculty has been lax in these matters before. I don't care what has gone on here. I don't care if my sister shows up right now to plead your case. As long as you are a student of this school you will abide by the rules as set for under law and by the Board of Education. From the moment you arrive on campus to the moment you set foot off of it you are a student like any other here. That means no more leaving campus for any reason outside of a normal emergency and that does not include situations where you feel it is your misguided duty to intervene.

"There will be no more of your devices. I am willing to overlook the computer hookup in your locker since you apparently use it for school work as well as communicating with others on your…team. I'm also willing to overlook this thing." She held up the Kimmunicator. "Much as I would like to tell you to leave it at home, the board has already ruled it no different than a regular cell-phone so you can keep it as long as it is deactivated while you are on the property. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am." She answered, stunned.

"I've seen what you do and you apparently are good at it. However, this is school and you are here to get an education just like the other one thousand seventy five students here. Leave your hobby at the door.

"On another note I have already been apprised of some other situations that have arisen. You may think the faculty is dumb and blind to what goes on around here, but the rumors get back to us and while I don't put much stock in all of it, you know what they say about 'where there's smoke?'" She paused to let that sink in. "I would suggest you re-read your Student Handbook, paying very close attention to the sections dealing with sexual activity, fighting and drugs and alcohol. Judging from your record I have disregarded what I've heard so far, but you have been warned. Now pack your things up." She pulled out a hall pass pad and scribbled a few notes and her signature on it.

Kim hung her head as she slowly made her way to class.

_What else is going to go wrong?_

* * *

A/N - If you're curious what Cary looks like or how Kim looked dressed up for the party, I've posted drawings ofthem at DevArt. There's a link to my DA page on my profile 

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney


	16. Part XVI

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XVI**

* * *

Ron stuffed his backpack under his seat and took a few moments to refresh his memory of his class notes. He knew he had the time, the bell was still seven minutes away and Barkin wouldn't appear until mere moments before it rang. The man obviously knew the exact amount of time it took to walk in the door and be on station just as it rang. He imagined he would synchronize his watch with the bell every single morning, or at least had a really good watch. 

He really didn't give Kim's abrupt dismissal of him a few minutes earlier at the lockers any more thought. She really wasn't acting peculiar, at least by his calendar. He had her schedule down to a science and knew that this was the absolute worst day imaginable to do anything that might upset her. If she wanted to walk around in a huff, he'd learned to let her. There was no good reason to try and make her mood any better. It would swing that way soon enough anyway and then, if everything fell accordingly, by midday tomorrow it would all be over and of course there was no reason for her to be late. She had been like clockwork for over two years now. Granted, they never discussed these things – Kim just plain didn't talk about it, even as close as they had gotten – but he knew, and knew quite well when and where certain things fell every twenty-eight days.

It was a survival technique, one all men who spent their lives with type-A personality women had to learn. Kim Possible with PMS was a very, very dangerous thing.

He had to admit she really wasn't that bad, at least, she wasn't when they regularly went on missions. There was always a way for her to channel her anger and aggression toward the myriad freaks they continually dealt with. Now Drakken was once again safely behind bars, Shego had seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth, Monkey Fist had been sent off with his non-existent tail between his legs, Duff Killagin was being inordinately quiet (being rumored to have taken up watching 'Football' – apparently the behavior of European soccer fans appealed to him.) With the exception of some random calls to take care of non-super-villain types things were still deathly quiet.

He knew he was being a little selfish thinking it was a good thing Barkin would be screening their calls while at school. At least that way one of the biggest distractions was gone. He used to sit and daydream in class that Kim would come running in, grab him by the shirt and haul him out to the entrance where some form of transportation would be waiting for them. As much as he enjoyed Kim's company, he always craved that little respite that came with their missions.

That was fine when he was a slacker, but in the interests of making Kim, her parents, his parents and himself proud he couldn't afford that attitude any more. Falling in love with Kim and having that love returned in kind was the kick in his pants he needed all these years. Too bad it couldn't come sooner.

He looked at his notes from the day before. It brought back memories of the first grade, when the teacher put a book in front of him and he realized that he could actually read. Before he always had his parents or Kim read everything to him because he just knew he wasn't capable. It always made him feel slow since the only real point of comparison was Kim herself. She could already read at a second grade level when they first met.

He had that light bulb moment the second day of classes, when Barkin had marched in and started his lecture _and it made sense!_ So far he had aced every pop quiz (could they even be called that if he opened every single class that way?) and he was confident he knew the material for the day. They were still on the chapter titled Basic Properties of Numbers. It wasn't like they were doing math as he once thought of it. Instead of adding, subtracting and all that other jazz he always thought of (long division still gave him a headache but that was primarily because of the tedium involved) the last three quizzes had "Prove the following" with a list of mathematical statements. They were learning about how everything worked, not just working with the numbers themselves.

He was as ready as he could ever be, so he closed his notebook and was about to close his eyes, not to take a catnap but to meditate for a few minutes. Kim was actively trying make him recall what little they had been able to teach him at Yamanuchi, all the while applying what she knew during their workouts. The first day had just been some fun sparring, something to clear the cobwebs. Now she was trying to actually teach him some of her techniques. It was an interesting exercise in the dynamics or their relationship.

Ten minutes into the first routine he stopped, looked her dead in the eye and called her "Coach Possible." She got the message. Kim might know sixteen kinds of kung-fu, but she had learned it mostly by osmosis, by watching others and learning from them. She could pick up on anything that called for athletic ability almost immediately, but she was not and likely never would be a teacher. She didn't have the patience.

Then again maybe she would, at least eventually. Every time she got too bossy or tried to go to fast or push him too hard he switched to calling her CP instead of KP and she backed off. He thought of himself as the only person in the world who could get away with that.

His eyes never made it past half closed when the room suddenly went dark. It took him a couple moments to realize it was not the lights but a pair of small hands covering his eyes from behind. In the space of an instant he realized exactly who it was, simply because he literally recognized the perfume. Mandarin oranges and mangos. That combined with the natural scent of the young woman whose hands covered his face told him right off the bat.

"Guess who?" A voice, tinged with a Puerto Rican accent asked musically.

"Uh, the Ice Warrior of Whosiewhatsis?" he answered, trying desperately to remember what her character was in _Everlot_.

"Guess again, Ron." The hands dropped from his face and she hugged his shoulders from the back.

"The Wraith Master's queen?"

"Not in this lifetime, knave. I'm now the Dark Sorceress of Pangol Trell."

"Okay, let's pretend I don't know what that is." She finally let him go and he turned to face her.

She was a tiny young woman. Dark skinned, probably all of five foot one but still built a lot like Kim. Her hair was longer than the last time he saw her but other than that she looked about the same. She was a very beautiful young woman, the type he used to consider out of his league. That was, until he worked up the courage to ask her out. Didn't matter that once he thought he had the chance to do so, it turned out to be her night off from her job at the theater ticket booth.

Ron thought all hope was lost and he knew he wouldn't have the stones to go through with it again until he looked at who was sitting beside him in the theater. What he thought was a missed opportunity turned into a date of sorts. At least what he considered a date back then. He was at a movie with a lovely young woman who actually seemed interested in him.

They dated briefly, though he never would have exactly called her a girlfriend. Before things could progress that far her one of her parents got transferred and she moved away. He never even got the chance to find out where she lived.

"Zita? I thought you were gone. What are you doing back here?"

"I'm happy to see you too." She told him with her arms crossed, a half scolding, half pouting expression on her face. "So, you still hitting on ticket girls at the theater or are you still hanging around with those other girls?"

"Other girls? Oh, you mean Kim and Monique. Yeah, we're all pretty tight."

"The redhead still dragging you around everywhere?"

"Uh, didn't you see the TV during the Little Diablo thing? Kim's famous.

"I don't know, I don't watch TV that much. You know, I'm playing online pretty much all the time. When I'm not out with a guy, ya know."

"What happened to you. It's like one minute we're kinda dating, the next you're moving away and I don't see or hear from you any more."

"You didn't even ask. If just figured you weren't that into me, like, every other word out of your mouth was about that redhead. And yeah, I know you've been around her a long time so I figured if you weren't going to tell her you were into her you'd never get around to me."

"Uh, I just kind of figured we were…I dunno."

"That's just it Ron, I didn't know. You never once asked me on a real date, you just kinda always wanted to go to Bueno Nacho and stuff. I thought you liked me but you never said anything." She shrugged, though she never took her dark eyes off his.

"I didn't know there was a time limit. Zita, I'd never really gone on a date before you. Sure there was Kim back then but that wasn't dating, we were best friends."

"Ron, all you had to do was say 'let's go on a real date' and I would have. I like you and before I had to move to Go City I was thinking I really liked you. I kinda still do."

"Uh, well…I…uh, you liked me-liked me?"

"Stoppable, Flores!" Barkin cut into their conversation from the head of the class. "Would you care to join us or would the two of you like some time alone?"

Zita grabbed the seat behind him and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "I learned a few things while I was in Go City. Would you like me to show you some time?"

Ron's mouth dropped open. The only person who ever spoke to him like that…ever…was Kim.

Kim.

He leaned back toward her. "Uh, Zita, you see, I'd like…"

Before he could complete the sentence Barkin was looming over him. "Perhaps a certain someone is backsliding into his old ways." He hissed, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood over the teen.

"No sir, Mister Barkin." He squeaked.

The assistant principal slash substitute teacher regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "I knew this was all too good to be true. He flipped the book open to the second chapter and pointed to the word problems at the end. "On my desk first thing in the morning, Stoppable. I've put too much work and too much time in for you to screw it up now.

"And Flores, as for you. I think you should find another seat."

"I'll be quiet." She said, shrinking down under his glare.

"Yes you will. Thomson, trade places with Flores."

Ron wasn't even sure if he had gotten the pop quiz correct he was so flustered. He liked Zita but there was absolutely no way he was going to entertain any of the thoughts she was trying to put in his head. He was so scared of what even a misunderstanding could do to his relationship with Kim he didn't even think to be flattered.

Still, he felt as if her eyes were on him from the back of the class the whole period. He didn't know whether to talk to her and tell her he was in a deep relationship with Kim or just beat a trail out of the room as fast as he could. He didn't remember seeing her at all the week before, yet here she was in his first period class. Had she just moved back and joined the school today? That didn't make much sense, most parents would make sure they got moved in time for their kids to start classes at a reasonable time, not a week late. Then again maybe that's the best they could do and she really hadn't missed that much.

The class went by in a blur. He certainly hoped he could get home and hit the material. His notes were a bizarre mess and likely would do him no good and he couldn't remember a word of the lecture. All he could think of was a petite Puerto Rican doing things that normally only Kim would and the thought made him almost physically ill. As the last minutes counted down he quietly stashed his work in his backpack, ready to make a break for the door, even hoping Barkin would actually get after him again and she would be forced to go on to her next class.

He risked a quick peek behind him as the final bell rang but in the tangle of students all trying to flee the classroom with great haste he couldn't see her.

Ron rode the wave of students out of the room, hoping they would propel him away. He was half way to the next class when he realized he would have been better off just flat out telling her Kim was his girlfriend.

No, not just that. Kim was his everything.

He set off to find her, hoping he could spot the girl before it was time for the next class.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	17. Part XVII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XVII**

* * *

Ron waited, checking his watch once more. Perhaps a third of the lunch period had slipped away and Kim hadn't shown up at their lockers. It was her turn to bring lunch and he was getting hungry. Some time over the intervening two periods the Zita problem managed to get pushed back in his mind as other things overtook the sudden panic he felt. Then too, if she was going to be the problem he thought, she would have likely sought him out by now. It was no big secret where their lockers were so he was making a great big target of himself standing right here at his. 

All thoughts of his one-time love interest were swept away as he stood there waiting for Kim. If it hadn't been for the cell-phone prohibition he would have activated his communicator and simply called her. This wasn't like her, at least not like her since they had been together. She never missed a chance to spend time with him, especially with school. He checked his watch again and tried to decide whether to go in search of her or go to the cafeteria to get something, anything to eat to carry him until the end of the day. Even then it would be a while before he could get away to eat anything, since they had the first active cheer practice session of the day.

He had been psyched about it at first, since Kim was planning to integrate his routine into the cheers themselves, taking advantage of his growing physical skills, as well as providing another opportunity to train him. That is, if she was able to hold onto her position as captain. Bonnie was certain to try and push for a vote as quickly as possible though he just couldn't see her overcoming the Kim/Hope/Tara/Ron voting block without winning over all the new members. That's why they would spend the week under the old administration, just to give the new girls a chance to learn the group dynamics.

Only there was nothing to stop Bonnie from calling for a vote today. All it would take was for her to convince one of the new girls to second that and there would at least be a vote on having the actual vote. Again that would require having all the newbies firmly in her camp.

The frightening thing was if she even had the nerve to call for such a vote, that meant she had confidence she had enough members in her corner to win the day. There were other factors to consider, but politics still made his head hurt. He had enough of that sixth period in his Political Science elective.

With one last check of his watch, his empty stomach overrode his curiosity of where Kim was. She must have been doing something important and hadn't had the opportunity to let him know ahead of time. He had classes with her the rest of the day so it wasn't like he wouldn't find out. Checking his pocket to make sure he had some cash, he started off towards the cafeteria. He made it about 10 feet before it dawned on him their lunch was likely in Kim's locker.

With a few twists of the dial he had it open. There was a sack sitting on the bottom but he didn't pay too much attention to it at that particular moment.

The locker was a jumbled mess. He saw her throw her books on the top shelf before class that morning, but otherwise the locker was as tidy as she ever kept it. Now it looked like everything had been pulled out and thrown back in at random. He also noted with some dismay that the two pictures had been ripped down, the corners still attached with strips of tape. He found the prom picture in the bottom, the photo defaced.

Somebody had burned through his face.

He did his best to straighten everything out. Eventually he found half of their beach picture, specifically Kim's half. There was a tiny bit of his sunburned shoulder showing but the other part was nowhere to be found.

Only Kim, Wade, several members of the faculty and himself could get into the locker, unless somebody knew how to bypass the lock. It was still a mechanical combination but it had tamper sensors installed. That gave him an idea. He pulled the keyboard out and hit the enter key.

Nothing happened.

It didn't take genius help to figure out why. The cord leading from the keyboard to the small processor had been cut. A quick look inside showed that every accessible cable had been damaged.

He closed and locked the door and headed toward the office, all thought of food or worry about where Kim was forgotten. His first thought was to find Mr. Barkin. Despite their differences he was the one faculty member he felt he could trust the most, especially since he had recently taken their side over the mission screening issue.

Then a thought hit him. The locker had been vandalized and it was clear Kim had been the target. That meant the possibility of the police being called in. He'd seen enough of the forensic evidence shows to realize he was now guilty of cleaning up the crime scene. While he'd done it at first thinking Kim made the mess by being in too big a hurry, his fingerprints would be all over everything, possibly corrupting or destroying any evidence of who had actually done it.

That stopped him short. If he brought in Barkin at this point things could likely go south really quickly. He changed course and headed back to the lockers.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't have any idea who did it?" Kim asked. 

Cary was sitting beside her at the senior table, picking at what passed for meatloaf. He had come into class with only seconds to spare that morning, so all she had been able to tell him was that they had to have a serious talk. He just looked at her in confusion as the class bell rang and it wasn't until class was over she was able to give him the brief version of what had happened Friday night. That's when he suggested they meet during lunch period.

"No. All I saw was some of the guys on the football team drinking some beer and I didn't think they were getting out of hand."

"Cary, I don't think it was beer I was drinking with my Coke. I don't like the stuff and I would have noticed it. Somebody was putting something in my drink I couldn't taste."

"Man, I'm real sorry that happened. I just thought you and your boyfriend left to go someplace private. You two were sure going at it pretty hot and heavy for a while. All I could think of was what a lucky guy."

"I'm the lucky one to have him." She said, not quite sure if he was paying her a compliment or just being slightly lewd.

"He didn't try anything once he realized what happened, did he? I mean, he was all over you for a while."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "No, I was the one losing control there. When I got too far gone he called my Dad and they took me home."

"Ouch, I bet that didn't go over too well. Anyway, I think it's going to be a real long time before I do that again. You getting wasted was just one thing. My Mom got home Saturday afternoon and I was still cleaning up the mess. I'm grounded for two weeks and I've got come up with a way to pay for some professional cleaners. I didn't realize how big a mess you Middletoners could make."

"She was mad?"

"Yeah, she laid into me pretty good. A couple of the guys were helping me but she tossed them right out and yelled for a good hour. Then she went upstairs and got a good look at her bedroom."

"Oh God."

"No kidding. I invited maybe thirty people and I figured half of them would show up with dates, so I wasn't expecting to have my house trashed. I think she threw all the sheets away…"

"Ewwwwwwww. I'm glad I didn't do any exploring while I was there."

"Yeah, they got my room too. Maybe I should have blocked off the stairs. Say, your guy, you sure he wasn't really taking any advantage of the situation, at least until you started getting sick?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, if you were coming on to him and all, maybe he was enjoying you a little more than he normally would until you got too bad. Maybe he got scared and panicked."

"Cary, I'm going to say this once and I understand you don't know Ron very well. We've known each other since we were four and even though we've only been a couple since spring our feelings for each other go back a lot further. Even if we weren't dating we would be best friends and he would never take advantage of me that way. Besides that, though, we've gotten…very physically affectionate. When we get that way, it's both of us enjoying it, not him taking advantage of anything."

"Like I said. He's a really lucky guy. You're just so beautiful, any guy would be lucky to have you."

"You're sweet, Cary. Have you had any luck finding someone?"

"Nah. I've asked a couple girls out. Guess I'm just too new. I went out with this one girl but she was such a self-centered little thing I took her home before ten. I'm sure you know her, she's on the cheerleading squad. Bonnie Rockingham or something like that."

"Rockwaller." Kim said, pursing her lips.

Cary laughed slightly. "You knew who I was going to say, didn't you?"

She shook her head, blushing slightly at being caught thinking ill of the other girl. "Uh, well, Bonnie's, well, Bonnie."

"Goes without saying I'm not traveling that road again. So, did you get in big trouble?"

"Not too bad. They sat me down and had a long talk about things, but I think they're pretty much upset that somebody did that to me instead of me doing something wrong, though I'm probably going to have to give them a detailed itinerary of our next date."

"Sounds like your parents are pretty cool. Hey, I've got an idea. How about once I'm off restriction I talk my mother into having your family over for dinner. That way I can apologize to them and to you in front of them. That should smooth things over pretty good, don't you think?"

"That sounds spankin. You sure your mother won't mind?"

"Nah. She likes having people over. She's a bit vain about her house and by then we should finally have everything unpacked and in place. Oh, don't forget to bring Ron with you."

"I don't think he'd miss it…Oh crap!"

"What is it?"

"It was my turn to bring lunch. I should have gone and gotten Ron before I came here. Dammit, where is my mind?"

"Don't you have classes with him the rest of the day?"

"Yes, but it was my turn to bring lunch. He's probably standing at our lockers wondering where I am." She reached for her backpack, which was sitting on the table in front of her.

Cary put his hand on top of hers. The touch stopped her cold. She wasn't used to that kind of contact from other people and a strange mix of emotions rolled through her head. His hand was warm and oddly enough, just slightly rough but the memory of when she first saw him roared back into the forefront of her mind.

She stayed that way for a long moment before she realized how uncomfortable it made her. She pulled her hand away, shouldering her backpack to leave.

* * *

Ron was getting frustrated. Half the lunch period was gone and he still couldn't find Kim. He went back to the lockers and not finding her there he started toward the office. Maybe Barkin had gotten a call from Wade and she went there to get permission to leave. That could mean a mission or their friend was trying to get in touch with them to tell them what had happened to the locker. Certainly he had some kind of sensor thingy that knew it had been damaged. He found himself second-guessing his course of action again. Maybe the police did need to be brought in. Barkin would know he wasn't to blame for what happened to her things. 

He was just about to leave Senior hall when Monique walked in, heading for her locker.

"Monique, have you seen Kim?"

"Uh, I think she was headed to the cafeteria?" She pointed back over her shoulder. "Dude, you are so going to have to tell me what went down at that party. I'm hearing things in the rumor mill that just can't be right."

"Well, things didn't go real good. I just wish you had come."

"How, I wasn't invited."

"You weren't? I thought all the popular people were there?"

"Ron, did you happen to notice anything about that party, about who was there and all?" She looked at him skeptically.

"Uh, it looked like a who's who in the Senior class."

"Ron, sometimes you are so naïve." She sighed. "I don't like to play it this way because I don't want to think certain things but did you notice who else _wasn't_ there?"

"Uh, Bonnie wasn't."

"No, that's not what I'm getting at. Bonnie didn't go because they went out and he pissed her off. I'm pretty sure she was invited. It's another thing. You probably didn't notice because you don't think like that either."

"I'm not sure what you're getting at."

"Ron…I'm black, or as some like to say, African-American. Everybody that got invited was white, just like you and Kim."

"Huh? Wait, Hope was there. She's Asian."

"Hope went with Tara. She didn't get invited either. I may be misreading some things, especially since there aren't as many black kids here as my old school, but it really seemed odd to me and I'm not the only one who noticed. Some of the others are pretty up in arms about it."

Ron stood there with his mouth open. There were one or two students of other races there, but he had no way of knowing who was there on an official invitation and who had come as a date or crashed the party. "Wow, Monique…that never occurred to me. I'm sorry I didn't see it."

"It's okay. That's not how you think. You and Kim haven't mentioned my race once the whole time you've known me. It just plain doesn't matter to you two and it shouldn't. Now, I want the details of what went on Friday night."

"After school, I promise you but right now I really have to find Kim. She was in the Caf?"

"I saw her headed in the door just a little bit ago. Maybe you can catch her."

"Sure, thanks!" He started off that way.

"Don't forget, I want the dirt!" She hollered at him as he left.

Why didn't he look in there for her? Was it simply because the two of them hadn't eaten the food there yet this year? Why would she go there anyway when they were eating food they brought? Still, if Monique had seen her there, that's where she would be, at least if he got there in time.

Things were still hopping in the crowded lunch room. A few stragglers were still in line but the staff were winding things down. Several women were still working behind the counter, mostly pulling empty pans from the hot-line. He saw something that, for a moment, made him forget his mission to find Kim.

"Master Lunch-Lady?" He whispered to no one, spying the Asian woman with the checkered head-cloth once more. He blinked and she was gone, only the regular staff visible. He took a couple more moments scanning the room, trying to spot the woman who had served the food at Yamanuchi. She was nowhere to be seen, making him wonder if he was seeing things due to hunger.

Then he spotted Kim sitting at the senior table with Cary.

They were holding hands.

* * *

A/N - Sorry to those of you looking for a chapter Tuesday night - I took a break and headed out of town with my wife and spent (gasp!) a whole 24 hours away from any kind of computer!

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	18. Part XVIII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XVIII**

* * *

Ron stood there for what seemed like an eternity but was only a matter of a few seconds, trying to get his brain around what he was seeing. Not only had Kim forgotten to meet him for lunch, she was sitting in the cafeteria with 'Pretty Boy' Cary. The first thing that registered in his mind was his hand on top of hers at the table. They looked like some kind of still life painting, not moving for a moment, the two of them looking into each other's eyes. Or at least from this angle it looked like Cary was looking into Kim's eyes.

He had seen that expression before. Only that boy had been tanned and a little more muscular, with dark brown hair. Still, it didn't matter this new guy was blonde, fair skinned, brown eyed and freckled, he was still one of those tall handsome young men who existed only to vex plain guys like himself.

These was a sudden, overwhelming urge to find something sharp and see if this…_hottie_, as Kim would call him, would dissolve into a pile of syntho-goo. He knew there was something too good to be true about this guy. Erik seemed to befriend him that time, though only to get to Kim.

Kim, who could go weak in the knees for any hot guy.

Kim who had almost thrown away twelve years of friendship just because of a hot guy she had known only a few days.

Ron knew the score. He might have been growing, he might have been filling out, but he was still a short, thin small guy with completely ordinary looks. He had to work ten times as hard as these pretty freaks of nature just to prove that he was worthy of love as a whole person. Now he thought he had that love, the kind of love, the kind of belonging he had always craved. It was about having one other person in the world you could call your own and they could call you their own in return.

Yet here she was, with this guy instead of him. On this day, of all days, the day that thirteen years earlier he had done what nobody, not his parents, not his babysitters, not the staff at the Pre-K or even himself would have considered possible. He set aside his overwhelming fear of almost everything to stand up for someone else, someone he instinctively knew even then was the other part of his whole.

This just couldn't be happening again! A burning coal at the center of his heart caught fire, his intense love for Kim turning into a flame of rage. His hands clasped into tight fists, the knuckles turning white tinged with red as his nails dug into his palms. Before he stood helplessly aside. How could he do anything else then, he didn't even have the courage to tell Kim how much he cared for her, how much he was in love with her. Now it was different. He had bared his whole heart and soul to her, allowing his heart free reign, devoting his whole being to the love her shared with her. This time he could not idly stand by and watch as a perceived weakness in her character stole her away from him again.

This would not happen again! He didn't care if Cary was another synthodrone or just a flesh and blood human who looked like he stepped off one of those posters at the overpriced teen clothing stores at the mall. Logic and sense were being pushed aside by animal rage and a sort of possessiveness he never considered himself capable of. Who did this guy think he is, wanting to have the beautiful Kim Possible just because he felt it was his due simply because he was blessed with model looks?

He wasn't even aware the sea of students were parting before him, fearing the burning rage on his face. They saw what was in his eyes and they were frightened, even more so knowing the source of that rage. Few could believe little Ron Stoppable could suddenly look so dangerous, as if he had become ten feet tall.

He stepped past Kim right as she shrugged into her backpack and stood right in front of Cary. Slowly the boy looked up at him, as if he had known he was there the whole time. He looked Ron right in the eyes, wearing a sort of lopsided smirk.

Then he saw it for the first time. Corn colored hair, chocolate brown eyes, faint freckles across his face and nose. It was like somebody had taken all his features and applied them to one of the beautiful people. He even had a t-shirt that was precisely the same color as his jersey with "Go City Central Condors" printed on it. The little bastard was actually trying to be _him_!

"Hey, Ron, how's it going?" He asked cheerfully, as if he was totally blind to the rage swirling around Ron like a phantom cloud of blue smoke.

"You…stay…away…from…KIM!" he growled through clenched teeth.

"What? Dude, I think you need to chill out or something. You look like you're about to blow a blood vessel."

"I'll show you blood…" Almost without volition his hand drew back to wipe that vile smirk off of him.

A hand like iron clamped around his wrist, spinning him around to see crystal green eyes that mirrored his own anger.

"Ron, what is your damage?" Kim almost snarled at him, still holding his wrist fast.

"I could ask you the same thing. I wait forever for you then I find you sitting in here holding hands with pretty boy here. What am I supposed to think?"

She growled back at him through clenched teeth. "Outside, now!" She pulled his arm with such force it almost twisted out of its socket, dragging him out the door into the front lawn of the school. Once outside she let him go and again locked her eyes into his.

"What the hell is your problem, Ron? You think just because he touches my hand I'm going to go all ga-ga over him and run off with him? You think all it takes for me to throw you over is some pretty face? Do you think that little of me after all we've been through together?"

"I…no…he…"

"Do you know what you looked like back there? I'll tell you what you looked like. You weren't Ron Stoppable, the man I love, you were something else, some kind of animal out to protect his mate from the other males. You were like a big rutting ape out to protect his harem. Am I just a possession that you have to prove to everyone is yours?"

"No, but you were holding hands. You forgot our lunch…our anniversary."

Kim just looked at him in disbelief. "How can you be that stupid? Do I have to run around telling the whole school that it's you I love every single minute of the day? Are you so insecure in our relationship that I can't even sit with somebody and talk? Ron, I love you for all the world, but you're not the only person in my life and I need other friends too. I thought we got beyond all this with Monique and Felix. You should be glad we're making other friends. You're my boyfriend but that doesn't mean you're my only friend, it doesn't mean we have to exclude everyone else from our lives.

"Do you even know what Cary and I were talking about?"

"I don't know…all I saw…"

"That's right. All you saw was him putting his hand on mine. We weren't holding hands, that was just a gesture of his when he apologized."

"Apologized? What for?"

"Duh, Friday? He's as upset as we are about what happened. He was apologizing and he even invited my family and you to dinner some time when he's off restriction."

"Restriction?"

"Yeah, cause everyone trashed his house. He only invited a few friends and a whole lot more showed up and it got out of his control. He's grounded, just like the two of us get sometimes. Now how do you feel about almost trying to deck him?"

"I…wow…I mean I didn't think I was."

"Ron, you were so angry if you'd have swung on him you probably would have actually hurt him. You've got a lot to learn about fighting skills, but face it, honey, in reality you're a match for a whole lot of these kids now. You've learned skills that can put an untrained fighter in the hospital if you're not careful."

"But I wouldn't have…I..."

"Ron, you were about to deck him and another thing, maybe you haven't heard yet, but the new Principal is here. She took me aside this morning and read me the riot act. No more missions during school, no more Wade gadgets being delivered to us. She actually threatened to have me expelled for the stuff we have that could be used as a weapon." Kim's anger was starting to turn to tears. "She also told me she knows about some of the other things that have happened. If we screw up, it's going to come down on us hard and I don't have to tell you what that might mean for you."

"For me. Kim, I don't get it."

"Ron, baby, you're doing so good, better than I even thought you could, but if you get suspended I don't know if you'll be able to catch up. If you slugged him you'd be suspended at least three days if not longer. They've got the rules set up in a way they can come down even harder because we're trained. I don't want to go all comic book on you, but like they say, with great power comes great responsibility. You understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so." All of the energy his rage had given him faded away, like water running out of a broken bowl. He sat down on the ground, spent, tears starting to roll from his eyes as well.

"Good. Listen, Cary has done nothing but try to be a friend. He absolutely respects our relationship and even if he didn't, I'm going to be the one who puts him in the hospital, because I'm never, ever going to let anyone do anything to me that might jeopardize what we have. I love you and only you. At the end of the day you're the one I'm going to kiss. When we're adults, you're the one I'm going to share everything with, you got me?" She crouched down in front of him and wiped her own cheeks before taking both his hands.

She took her right hand and wiped his tears off. "Okay, I admit I was wrong by not meeting you but I didn't forget what today is. I have something really nice planned for tonight so what do you say about going back to our lockers, getting our lunch and seeing if you can gobble all of it down before lunch period's over."

"Sounds good, I…Oh man! The locker!"

"What about the locker?" She said, growing concerned. "If you forgot to lock it back, don't worry, it's got a timer that does it for it. Some of that stuff is pretty expensive."

"No, that's not it. When I figured you were doing something more important than lunch I opened yours to get to the food. That's when I found out somebody trashed your locker."

"Trashed? The computer?"

"It doesn't look like they damaged the computer itself but a lot of the cables have been cut. That's not the worst of it, somebody took down your picture and burned my face out of one of them?"

"WHAT?" She pulled him to his feet and headed back toward Senior Hall, dragging him just like she often did on their way to a mission.

By the time they got back into the building Barkin was already there at the lockers waiting for them. "Possible, I've been trying to find you. I got a call from Load. It seems somebody disconnected the computer and he hasn't been able to restore the link and he's worried something's happened."

She pulled out her Kimmunicator. "Can I?"

"Go ahead." He said, rolling his eyes and turning away from the conversation.

"Kim!" Wade said as he popped up on the tiny screen. "Is everything okay, I lost the uplink to your locker computer this morning."

"We're fine, but Ron says somebody trashed the locker. Did you get anything before the computer went dead?" Kim said, somehow feeling comfortable again talking on her omni-device.

"Nada. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. The T1 line was cut first, so if anything happened after that, then only the CPU itself would have recorded it."

Ron opened the locker and held his communicator up so Wade could run his scans. A soft beam of light sprang from the device, recording fingerprints and other foreign substances. "Wow, well, as for my end of things it's more cosmetic than anything else, but the cabling will have to be replaced before we can learn anything. I'll send someone right out to repair it. Maybe we'll get lucky and the CPU recorded something before it lost power."

"I don't know about this. I think this is a job for the police." Barkin said, looking over Kim's shoulder at the twelve-year-old tech guru. Ron looked up at him plaintively, wishing it wouldn't come to that.

"If this turns out to be one of Kim's enemies, I think we might be better off trying to run this down on our own." Wade said, raising an eyebrow at the teacher. "The police are likely to just take a report, put it down to student vandalism and go on their way. That's fine for an insurance claim, but we might be dealing with something bigger."

"It's Possible's locker, so it's her call." He said. "I'd feel a lot better if you would call them."

Kim picked up the remains of the prom photo, visibly shaking as her finger explored the burned edges where Ron's face used to be. "Whoever did this has it in for Ron even more than they do for me. I'm with Wade. I think we stand a better chance of figuring this out on our own." She picked up the other photo, noting that Ron had been totally removed from that one as well.

"Yeah, it's about time for Shego to show up again. She's been too quiet this time." Ron said in response.

"Well, so be it. Now if you'll excuse me I have a meeting with Doctor Director."

Ron watched Barkin go with a confused expression on his face. "Why would he be meeting with Global Justice."

"Oh, you haven't heard yet, have you." Kim said. "It's not Betty Director he's meeting with, it's her older sister Wilma.

"She's the new principal and let me tell you, she's got _both_ eyes on us."

* * *

"Are you certain he saw you, Nooni-chan?"

"Yes. I could see it in his round eyes. He looked right at me before I could vanish." She pulled the checkered do-rag off and folded it neatly before putting it away.

"His skills are improving then. This is good. Soon will be the time to call him forth once more." The small man with a flowing white beard and mustache said.

"I am afraid we might be too late. Crazy boy almost lost control. His temper is very bad where it comes to the flame-hair girl."

"That is to be expected, if the other is to be believed. Their souls are intertwined. Kim Possible is part of the whole that makes Stoppable-san. If all comes to pass as it has been predicted, then it will take both of them…

"…but he is yet young and full of youthful foolishness. He must make mistakes and learn from them, as well as learn what we can teach him. I think I shall call him as the days grow cold.

"It is almost time for his devotion to his soul-mate to be tested by time and distance."

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	19. Part XIX

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XIX**

* * *

Ron sat in the bleachers fiddling with the new Mad Dog head, adjusting the internal supports so it wouldn't give him a headache. He was already worried he would have to either create a new one of his own or repair the old one. Nice as the new one was, it was heavier and it just plain didn't want to fit right.

The arguments on the floor were already in full swing. Kim wanted to start of with some classic routines the new girls should already know, but Bonnie wanted to go directly to the cheer that won the regionals last season. Kim wanted to play it on the safe side and give the new recruits a chance to learn to work with the more experienced girls. Bonnie, on the other hand, thought it would take too long to develop the program from the point where Kim wanted to start.

It came down to Kim pulling rank on her rival as the returning captain. Ron could see it in Bonnie's aquamarine eyes that she really wanted to call for a vote, but it was clear she knew she couldn't win. She cast one glance right at him before giving in for the moment.

That gave him slight pause. If Kim hadn't stopped him and he did take a swing at Cary, he wouldn't be there, he'd be sitting out in the parking lot waiting to take Kim home, or worse already home because she didn't want anything to do with him at the moment. If that had happened it might have tipped the balance toward Bonnie, at least on getting an up vote on having the election early.

Was Bonnie in on what happened? That would mean she was somehow in cahoots with Cary, which wouldn't be hard to believe. He did look like a thinner version of Brick, though that was mostly his haircut. She had been with the former quarterback off and on some six or seven times but beyond that he had no idea what sort of guy she would go for otherwise. With her utter disappearance over the summer and the fact that beyond all likelihood, neither he or Kim had any classes with her, there was no way to know what was going on with her.

He had to stifle a small smile about how the cell phone ban was affecting her. They probably had to surgically remove it from her ear.

Ron watched the routine carefully. When it was complete, as far as the girls were concerned, his part would come in. He would cartwheel out in front of them and land in a split, a move he wouldn't have dreamed of doing when her first joined the squad. All he had to do then was ham it up and generally act like an idiot, spraying the crowd with banana cream foam from the pump built into his mask.

When he had switched bodies with Kim he wasn't able to do a single thing she could. He couldn't fight and he couldn't tumble (not to mention not knowing how certain things worked.) It was like he was wearing her body like a set of clothes, clothes that he knew were capable of Olympic level gymnastics and astounding leaps. He could feel the strength of her muscles but he had no idea how to control them.

It was still a revelation to him in other ways. He watched as she used his body to fight Shego and a whole squad of Drakken's goons then she used it to give the D-Hall bullies some 'sensitivity training.' Finally she literally shoved him aside at the Cheer Off and completed the whole routine. It didn't dawn on him then, but over time he began to realize just what he was actually capable of if he could get his own mind to work in synch with his body. Just that little bit of knowledge opened up a whole world for him. He was never going to be the natural athlete she was since his mind just plain didn't work that way, but he knew that if he tried hard enough things like actually becoming part of the squad itself could happen.

How was so much bad happening now though? At first he was on top of the world with all the adulation and back slapping but something was wrong with it. Then it slowly started dawning on him that his jump in status in the "food chain" was accompanied by Kim's being knocked down quite a ways. In theory it sounded good that she no longer cared about such things but that wasn't the reality they had to live with day after day. The comments he received were starting to change in their nature or at least he didn't hear the innuendo at first.

The very same things that had improved his reputation had damaged hers. It was something he never really thought about before, the double standards applied to male and female teenagers. The popular assumption was the two of them had gone all the way on many occasions. There wasn't really any way he could think of to counter those rumors either, especially since they had nearly done it anyway. In his mind their willingness to nearly go that far was not much different than the act itself. Going around proclaiming their mutual virginity would just seem so hypocritical now. Then too it was quite likely they wouldn't be believed.

He also knew that it was highly likely he would be ridiculed if he admitted it anyway. He could put on a good show, but years of being called a loser or worse hurt. Most of the other kids in the school wouldn't care how much he treasured her, how much their love meant to the two of them. No, they would care whether they were having sex or not.

Other thought weighed heavily on his mind, not the least of which was Cary. Kim said she had a bad feeling about him before, but that had utterly evaporated now. Somehow the boy had managed to charm her 'weirdar' feelings away. That didn't work on him. It didn't happen instantly like it had with Lord Montgomery Fisk, but his own version that he thought of as his 'bad road-meter' was starting to spike any time the guy was mentioned or around.

Maybe it was the fact he was around so much. He certainly didn't like the thought of having dinner at his house, even with the Possible clan there with him. The very idea made him uncomfortable now, much as memories of that house did. He could walk into almost any of their enemy's lairs without a bit of hesitation. There, they were in their element, they were in some degree of control (most of the time.) That night there had been no control. Something so innocuous as a cup of pop had sprung up to hurt them. The very notion of setting foot back in that home brought all the unpleasant feelings, all the panic he had felt that night.

Something was definitely off about Cary On. There was a sort of sinister familiarity about him and he wasn't thinking of the traits he shared in common with him. Most of that could be faked anyhow. He was to the point he though Kim and he were the only two left in the world who didn't color their hair. Maybe he really wasn't a blonde, though why anyone would want such a dark yellow sort of blonde he couldn't understand. Usually folks who bleached went more for a golden color or the platinum color Tara had, a color he knew had at least a little help considering he had known her since Middle School.

"Ron, quit playing with that thing and get into the first position." Kim yelled from the floor.

"I can't get it to fit right." He made a show of tugging at the internal rigging of the mask.

"Well, don't worry about it. You need to learn the stunt first, then we can work on getting the equipment ready." She said, hands on her hips, not used to having to wait for anyone.

He stood on his mark, just behind the main group of girls who were doing a routine that started in a straight line, then broke up into two rows of three and a last row of two as they went through their moves. At the very last they raised their pom poms up in the air, shaking them furiously as he ran down the middle, dropping into a cartwheel halfway through the girls. Even such a short tumble felt like it was going to yank his insides out, but he managed to land in a split, just as planned.

They went through the routine three more times, Kim constantly coaching from her position in the middle of the pack. He had been going to practice with the squad for over two years and he thought they had been perfect, yet she was still picking out missteps and other mistakes. If he wasn't part of the routine himself now he would have shaken his head. Coach Possible was coming out to play. The old squad had worked like a finely tuned machine so there far less opportunity for her inner bossiness, something he called 'Kimness' to come to the fore.

That didn't matter. He was part of it now and he was pumped. The adrenaline started for flow and he started hopping around in place, pretending the mask was on. There was something about having it on and being in front of a packed, cheering stadium or gym. He could be somebody else and he could really cut loose and put on a show.

They were doing one last routine before calling it a day. The new girls were finally starting to get up to speed with the cheer and he was getting into the excitement himself. Grinning to himself, he watched for his cue. He took a first step one beat earlier, planning on doing something a little extra. Instead of running half the distance he went right into the cartwheel, springing up when done and going into a forward flip. He landed perfectly once more, to the applause of the new girls who had no idea he could do that.

Applause wasn't the only sound he heard.

Fabric had ripped. The sound was unmistakable, it was as familiar to him as Kim's voice or his own.

Without thinking he stood up, trying to figure out what had happened. Then he realized his lower half was quite a bit cooler than it was supposed to be. He closed his eyes, knowing what had happened. He started to chuckle, feeling the yellow pants pooled around his ankles. This had happened too many times for it to bother him any more.

Yet, where was the giggling. Normally the girls, especially Tara would start laughing while Kim shook her head in frustration at the sight of Ron standing there in his boxers.

_Oh no. Please God no!_

He wasn't wearing boxers. Since he was taking a more active role in the squad he was required to wear something else. Something with more support in critical areas.

Mortified beyond words, he pulled the remains of his uniform pants up and made a mad dash for the locker room, making a special mental note that, in the future, he would always wear boxers _over_ his jock strap!

* * *

Kim brushed Ron's hair back and kissed his forehead, working her way down his cheek then to his neck. She found the now barely visible yellow/purple spot she had left him Friday night and gently nibbled there.

She was lying on top of him on his bed. They both still had all their clothes on, though they were now quite disheveled. He had his hand up the back of her shirt, every now and again slipping it under her strap, threatening to unhook it. She smiled and shook her head every time he did so, though part of her wished he would defy her and do it anyway.

She moved down from his neck and started on his chest, gently kissing him, her arms wrapped around his chest through his open shirt. He changed into the bowling shirt when he got home since his jersey was sweaty from the too warm day. Kim liked that anyway, finding it more fun to unbutton his shirt when they were making out, pretending she was undressing him for fully.

She rolled off of him and draped her arm around his chest. "One of these days your parents are going to surprise you and stay home on Tuesdays." She said, playing with the triangle of fine blonde hair on his lower belly. She'd never noticed it before so maybe it was just another sign that he was finally growing up, becoming a man.

Kim so very wanted to 'make him a man' right then.

"I'd still like to know what they're doing. Not that I'm complaining right now." He rolled half on top of her, gripping her bare waist under her purple tank top, kissing her hungrily.

Her hand went down to his and she entwined her fingers in his large hand. Her other hand reached under him, around his waist and slipped into the bad of his pants, feeling the muscles on the point of his nearly non-existent hip before sliding further back, squeezing other muscles.

"It's a good thing you've got such a nice butt." She purred between kisses.

"I would just like to forget today."

"Then how's this." She took his hand and placed it on her chest. She could feel his heart beat faster as he cupped her. Kim arched her back slightly, pushing toward his touch.

"Wow…um…wow!" was all he could stammer as she closed her eyes. She hooked a leg up over his and pulled him down for another kiss.

"You can use both hands, you know." She said, rubbing her bare leg up and down his tan cargos.

Ron didn't have to be asked twice, though he found it was harder to kiss that way. Finally she took his head and placed it on its side on her chest. He could hear her heartbeat but the only thing he was conscious of was the softness pillowing him there.

"Is this what they call second base?" He whispered.

"Not quite. We'll save that for later. Unless you want more." She whispered back, stroking his ragged bangs with her fingertips.

"Oh, I want, I want." He said, a little more loudly.

"I do too, though this may go too far."

He thought about that, thought about what she actually believed second base was, or even third. He had always been so preoccupied with the proverbial home run he never really considered the steps in between. Much as he wanted to he also didn't want to move from this particular spot right now.

"You're right. One thing at a time." He nuzzled in a little closer, conscious of where his mouth was. Instead of dwelling on that thought he put his hand on her waist again, squeezing it gently, felling the taught muscles there.

After a while he sat up a bit and started kissing her again while cupping her through her shirt.

"This is only for you. It will only ever be for you." She whispered, wrapping both arms around him and pulling him close.

"Booyah." He whispered back, reaching down and cupping her backside through her shorts. She ground her hips against him slightly, then rolled him back onto his back, climbing on top of him and rubbing his chest much the way she often did his back.

"You know, our real anniversary will be in May." She said.

He wagged his eyebrows. "Think we'll find a good way to celebrate it?"

"Oh, I can think of some things. You know the Prom will be the very next day. This time, come hell or high water, we're going to get there right when it starts and we're not leaving until they throw us out. I don't care if Drakken, Monkey Fist and Killagin all team up to take over the world, for that night they're going to have it. I want you that night."

"I think you've got me right now." He said, giving her hips a light squeeze.

"Yes you do." She leaned down and kissed him gently several times. "Happy thirteenth anniversary, best friend."

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world, aren't I?"

"Oh?" She said sweetly, tracing the top of his lip with her tongue.

"I get to have a best friend _with benefits_, like the song said."

"Humph. I know what that song meant and you just said we're saving that, buster."

"Darn." He said in a mock pout.

She leaned down to his ear, letting the full weight of her body rest on his. "Remember that sleeping bag on the beach?" she whispered in his ear.

"Can't ever forget it."

"Remember what we did?"

"Oh yeah."

Kim nibbled on his ear, her face becoming a mirror of his big, goofy grin.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	20. Part XX

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XX**

* * *

September slipped away as the young couple settled into a comfortable but busy routine of school work, minor missions and dates. The Spirit Week dance was a pleasant interlude, though both of them admitted later that it was more than a little boring, having moved onto much more exciting dancing and dating venues. Then again maybe there was something about sharing a dance with the Freshmen and Sophomores, making it seem so much more like a kid's dance. There was just something quaint and almost innocent about it, like taking out a toy that had been put away for years and trying to play with it again, finding that most of the joy was now in memories rather than the moment. Still, they stayed for the entire event, especially since both of them were on the planning committee. That meant the cleanup fell partially to them as well though they didn't mind. It was as much fun being together taking down decorations and picking up trash as it was with their more usual date activities. 

Kim did suggest they sneak off to the janitor's closet early during the dance but a wary eyed Wilma Director put the kibosh on that idea, standing sentry in the hallway door leading there, perhaps knowing what sometimes went on in there during the dances.

Ron certainly wouldn't have minded being locked in it again, as long as he was trapped in there with Kim.

Cary was relegated to the status of minor friend, at least as far as Kim was concerned. She didn't speak of him much around Ron, sensing her boyfriends growing dislike and distrust. He wouldn't say it out loud, but she knew what he was thinking. He was free to like or dislike who he pleased, though it did bother her that his opinion seemed to center on her visual attraction to him and his apparent attraction to her. Oh well, Ron wasn't perfect, she'd take him anyway.

His dinner invitation never materialized after all. Kim didn't pry but she assumed that perhaps his mother didn't care much for the idea after all. Ron suggested she might be nervous about celebrities, but that didn't seem to jibe with Cary's comment that his mother liked to show off her house.

The Zita issue seemed to take care of itself. By the next day all she did was pleasantly wave to Ron as he entered the class. That became almost a routine and she didn't seem to pursue him like she had the first day back. He didn't have any other classes with her and actually saw her very little in the day, so he had to assume she had gotten the message about Kim and backed off. Sometime later he actually heard she had a boyfriend, so he was able to breath a sigh of relief. No confrontation, no potential misunderstandings, no alienation, no awkward explanations.

It also allowed him to once again bask in the feeling that there actually were girls who desired him.

The subject of Cary came up again in October as they investigated another series of break-ins at a chain of high-tech gadgets called _Keener Vision_ (Wade consistently rolled his eyes at the notion of retail level 'high-tech'.) Somebody apparently had it in for the company, especially the franchises owned by Cary's mother. Every time, however, the thefts seemed rather mundane so they turned it over to the police.

It was Ron who finally noticed the one oddity. "How come we keep getting called specifically to these things but we never see Mrs. On? Have we even met her?" He said as they cruised home on his motorcycle, speaking over a helmet-mike system Wade had installed for them.

"Good question. Why don't we drop by there and see what's up."

He didn't much like the thought of going back to that house, but this was business, so he wound his way back to Cherry Grove Road and parked the bike out front. The place looked so different without being surrounded by cars and bunches of kids standing outside, either waiting to get in or overflowing from the party itself.

Cary answered the door. He looked somehow different than they were used to seeing him. His shirt was unbuttoned and he was wearing shorts even though the fall had already turned cool. There was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead and his hair was downright messy.

"Hi Kim, Ron, what's up?" he said genially, though he seemed a little nervous about something.

"We need to see your Mom, Cary." Kim said.

He looked at them both for a moment, perhaps noting for the first time they were wearing mission clothes and leather jackets instead of their more usual street clothes. Kim couldn't think of a time other than on TV where he would have seen them dressed like that.

"Uh, she's not home right now. She went to a meeting in Denver. Something to do with the break-ins at her stores. Is that what this is about?"

"Yes. Somebody with the company keeps requesting us when it happens so we're just following up. Don't you work in the Middleton Mall store?"

"Well, sort of. I'm technically the assistant manager but I only work a couple nights a week during the school year. Mom doesn't like my work getting in the way of my studying. Like it matters, I've already been accepted at GCU."

"Oh, that's cool. Should feel just like home for you." Kim said, thinking how nice it was going to be to live at home when she went to Middleton College the next year.

"You have no idea." He said, almost growling, his face darkening just a tad before he caught himself and recovered. "Uh, I'm kinda busy right now. I've got Mr. Markham's paper due this Friday and it's giving me fits."

"Oh sure, no big."

"Cool. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Word has we're getting hit with a pop-quiz in the morning."

"Thanks. I'm ready anyway."

"Oh, I'm pulling a shift at the mall tomorrow night. If you two want to hang out drop by."

"Sure, we'll think about it." Kim said as she waved goodbye and they started back toward the bike.

"That's funny." Ron said as he picked up his helmet.

"What?"

"Well, I may be wrong, but if he's studying it looks like he's doing it the way we do on Tuesdays."

"Huh? We spend more time with each other on Tuesdays than actually studying." She purred at him. They actually did more making out on those afternoons than they did on their actual dates.

"That's what I mean. I think he just threw on some clothes when we rang the bell."

"Uh, yeah, I kind of noticed that. Maybe he's just one of those guys who sits around in his underwear at home. You'd do the same thing if your mother would let you." She teased, knowing that was another habit she was going to have to break him of in the future. Much as she liked the view of his chest and his light fuzz of belly hair, there was a time and a place for that kind of lounging. "Even if he is in there with someone, wouldn't that make you happy?"

"Happy? Oh, yeah, I guess." He kick-started the bike and they headed off.

Cary watched them speed away, holding the curtains barely open.

"Who was that?" a feminine voice asked.

"Oh, just the 'Stoppables'."

"Huh?"

"Kim and Ron. The 'old-marrieds' of Middleton High."

"What did they want?"

"They were here to see Mom. Now, where were we?" He said, slipping back out of his clothes.

* * *

Cary sat at his table, nibbling on his sandwich, watching people as they entered the caf. The crowd was thicker than usual, considering the cold rain falling outside. He noted when a particular quartet entered. 

"So, an Irish, a Jew, a cripple and a black walk into the room." He said before taking a big bite of his turkey and mayo sandwich.

"Is that supposed to be some sick joke?" His companion asked.

"Maybe, just maybe." He answered after swallowing.

She looked past him, noting the couple holding hands as they made their way to the senior table. There was a moment of wistfulness as she watched them. The blonde boy squeezed the redhead's hand before they sat down, the two of them waiting as the others went through the line. Absently she put her hand on Cary's thigh under the table.

He swatted it away. "Not here. Not in public." He hissed.

"Why not? You still wanting to get in her pants?"

"Might. All depends. Right now she's too wrapped up in that loser boyfriend of hers. Still don't get what she sees in that little weakling."

"Cary, he's not a weakling and he's not a loser." She said defensively.

"You still just want to get in his pants yourself." He quietly snarled. "I not good enough for you?"

"Yes, but I just wish you would show it more." She pouted.

"I've already told you. That stuff is for private. Do I need to explain it to you again."

"No. Private. I understand." She said quietly. "I just want people to know you're my boyfriend. You weren't like this in Go City."

"It's different here." He said, chewing on the last of his sandwich. "I'm having lunch with you, aren't I?"

"Yes." She picked at her rice sadly, thinking how things would be different if she had told a certain someone how she felt long ago. She looked across the room at the Senior table, seeing the four there chatting, smiling. The redhead would touch the blondes arm and leg every so often and they even shared bits of each other's lunch. They were the textbook definition of a cute couple, something she once thought she had until she moved here. She had been so happy when she was transferred to the city where her boyfriend had moved after his parents got divorced, but he had changed so much in the short month and a half they were apart.

"Look, I've got some things to do." He said, picking up his book bag.

"'Kay. See you tonight after work?"

"Maybe. Mom's going to be at the Lowerton store, so I've got to handle the store by myself. I'm probably going to be pretty worn out as it is." He walked away.

She followed him with her eyes, then turned back to the remains of her lunch, muttering under her breath in Spanish. It would be so good to end things with him. Their relationship had turned purely physical and that was starting to hurt her and he was acting like he was almost ashamed to be seen with her. Ending it wouldn't happen, though. She tried before and it hadn't gone well. He was capable of such anger sometimes, especially when it came to her.

Even more so when it came to the loving couple across the room.

* * *

"So, what's it going to be this year? Horse costume? The ballerina and the cowboy?" Monique asked. 

"I think we're getting just a little too old for Trick-or-Treats this year." Ron said as he licked the last orange sauce from his container. It had been his turn to bring lunch and he'd made Chicken a la'range the night before. It lost something being re-heated but it was still twenty times better than anything the caf staff could come up with.

"Aw, come on, Stoppable. You can't break up the Middleton Halloween tradition like that. We've already got Tara and Jason lined up. We can triple date!"

"Triple?" Kim asked, seriously considering following Ron's example of getting the last bits of her lunch. It was that good.

"Uh huh." Monique said. "You and Ron, Jason and Tara and me and Felix." She reached out and took the latter's hand.

Ron dropped his container and Kim's eyes went wide as saucers.

"When did…how…huh?" She stammered, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, this had been in the works for a while." Monique cooed.

"And you didn't tell me?" Kim was shocked.

"No, not until things got a little more official." Felix said, squeezing his girlfriend's hand back.

"How official is 'official'?" Kim asked.

"Official as in Rondo here isn't the only one who can kiss like a champion at Middleton High." Monique grinned back at them.

"Oh, and how do you know how well he kisses?" Kim looked from her girlfriend, to her boyfriend, who suddenly looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I just had to get me a little sample of the Ron-shine girl. You can't have all that good stuff just to yourself all the time, you know."

"What? Ron, what is she talking about?" A tiny bit of anger crept into her eyes.

"Uh, I, uh, er…"

"You mean you didn't tell her? Ron is the make-out bandit. He's been laying it on me and Tara and Hope and I even think he's laid one on Bon-bon, but that's just talk."

Ron looked like he was about to crawl under the table.

"Ron?" Kim growled.

"Girl, I'm just playin' ya. You're the one who can't shut up about how good he kisses…and does back rubs and snuggling and how deft he is with those big fingers."

"I think I'm going to crawl away and die." Ron said sheepishly.

Kim just turned crimson, embarrassed that now not only Ron, but Felix knew the depth of what she talked about with her girlfriend in private.

"Oh, like you wanted to crawl away and die when Kim saw that 'artistically enhanced' to-do list?" Monique actually leered at him.

"Monique!" Kim hissed. "That did _NOT_ happen! Period!"

"Uh huh, and you didn't make him shred it. Then burn it."

"Um, what exactly was on this list?" Felix asked.

"Nothing!" Kim and Ron said in unison.

"Nothing you need to think about at this point in our relationship." Monique said, rubbing her new boyfriend's shoulder. "Maybe I'll eventually explain it to you."

"It didn't happen." Kim growled.

"Girl, you're digging the your hole deeper and deeper. Let's just say that making out isn't the only hidden talent our boy has."

"Can we please change the subject?" Ron asked from behind his hand, hiding the redness in his cheeks, something that rarely happened.

"Okay. So, who's got their college applications off yet? I just sent them off to UCLA, GCU, Duke and Carolina."

"Well, I've already been accepted at MC, so we're just waiting to hear on Ron's applications."

"Oh, where're you gonna go, Stoppable?" Felix asked.

"I've applied at some of the culinary schools. There's a Johnson and Wales program here at MC which I hope I'll get into, but I've also applied to the ones in Denver and Charlotte."

"Cool. That'd be radical if you could get into MC and stay here with Possible. Maybe the two of you could get an apartment together and work on that list?" He wagged his eyebrows, causing both of them to blush again.

"I don't think we're going to be giving our parents any heart attacks like that just yet." Kim said. "Though that's a nice thought."

"Well, I'm pretty confident about MIT. Mom's got an me an in since she went there, but I think I can get in on my own."

"Sure you can. Say, if Mon's going to school on the East Coast maybe that'll work out."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Not everybody is already picking out china patterns and kid's room colors." Monique said, grabbing Felix's hand just so he wouldn't misconstrue her comment on their relationship.

"Well, I do hope Ron gets into MC. Much as I know we could handle being apart for an extended time, I wouldn't want to do it if I didn't have to."

"I like being right here with you." He said, squeezing her knee under the table. "But that's a long time off yet, so we've got all the time in the world right here and now."

"Don't be so sure, Honey. Ten months can go by a lot faster than you can imagine. Especially if we're having fun."

"I like the fun."

A shadow crossed the table, causing all four of them to look up.

"If the four of you are through testing the limits of the PDA policy, I need to speak to Stoppable." Mr. Barkin said, glowering at them with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Uh, sure." Kim said, packing away the empty containers. "Ron, I'll catch you at class, 'kay?"

"Sure, KP." He gave her hand a quick squeeze despite the glare he received from the assistant principal. He walked out into the hall with him, finding it interesting he was nowhere near as intimidated by the big man as he once was.

"I don't know how it happened, but we just got the lists for this year's student exchange program."

"Uh, yeah. So what has that got to do with me? I thought since I went two years ago I was disqualified from the program."

"That's what I thought, but you're on the list. Pack your bags, Stoppable…"

"…you're going back to Japan."

* * *

A/N - the "Artistically enhanced To Do list" Monique was referring to is a work by ivymae457 at DevArt titled "Ron's To Do List." You can get to that site through the link in my profile and you'll find it in my favorites.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney


	21. Part XXI

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXI**

* * *

"Okay, I'm confused here." Gene Stoppable said, scratching his head as his son and his girlfriend sat across from them at the kitchen table. "If the exchange program is about expanding horizons, why are they sending you again? Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose?" 

"That's what's so cool, it's not like the last time, this is for a whole month!"

"A whole month, yippee." Kim muttered, resting her chin on her palm.

Ron went on like he didn't notice. "Plus I'm not taking the regular exchange slot, I'm a special case. They're so impressed with the progress I've made at school, they want me back for a special follow-up program."

"I'm so proud of my little boy. I knew Kimberly would be so good for you." Jean Stoppable positively beamed.

Both teens glanced at the woman for a second, remembering her singing quite a different song about Kim back in the summer. Still, she had admitted to both of them that she was wrong and had apologized, so her joy should have been genuine.

"What about your school work, Son? You had such a hard time catching back up the last time you went to this Yamanuchi place and didn't you mention the course of study there was rather intense?"

"It was and I'll bet it is again, but this time I know going in what to expect."

"Unless they throw him for a loop." Kim said, still not as happy about the whole prospect of being without Ron for a whole month. She was surprised that afternoon when she finally had a chance to talk to him about it when a certain phrase came out of her mouth and not his.

"It'll be like Wannaweep all over again." Kim thought she was mature, that she could handle him being away. After all, if he couldn't get into the program at MC, it was highly likely he would have to go to college somewhere else, then it would be months at a time they would be apart…

…but not now. It was so ferociously unfair that they were going to be separated right here in the middle of time they thought they had all to themselves. She knew feeling that way was selfish, immature and smacked of insecurity about their relationship. It was especially selfish considering how amped Ron was about going. He was virtually bouncing off the walls, busting at the seams wanting to tell somebody besides Kim and Wade what actually went on there, why they really wanted him back.

Yamanuchi wasn't a town in Japan with Middleton High School's sister school. It was instead a secret school that had been training young men and women in the art of Ninjitsu for over sixteen hundred years. The original week-long exchange during their Sophomore year had actually been staged specifically to bring Ron to the school so that Sensei, the ancient seeming master of the school, could observe and evaluate his ability to use Tai Xing Pek Kwar, or Monkey Kung Fu. Months before Ron deliberately let himself be exposed to the Mystical Monkey Power in order to defeat and escape from Lord Monkey Fist. He thought at first the powers were lost when the four jade idols were destroyed but it was revealed to him on his first trip the power was now within him.

The nature of that power was finally revealed when he used it to defeat Monkey Fist's minion and traitor to the school, Fukishima. It actually scared him quite a bit, and that was likely why he often couldn't call upon the power.

One of the biggest frustrations for Ron, though, was being sworn to secrecy when he left after a week. It was a secret he even kept from her, at least until she got involved in a mission to rescue Sensei from the clutches of Gorilla Fist.

It bothered her for a while that he would keep a secret like that from her but over time began to respect the reason he had done so, especially considering the fact his success there was the sort of thing he naturally liked to brag about. That he could keep such a solemn oath said volumes about his real character.

As happy as he was to be going back, she was actually quite scared for him. Cool factor aside, the art of Ninjitsu served a very dark purpose. It wasn't all about sword play and kung fu. Ninjas were first and foremost assassins. In the modern world they were also employed quite often for purposes of espionage and found work with many government agencies around the world.

It still meant that gentle Ron Stoppable, who would only fight when necessary and even then would only use just enough, was going to be trained as a killer. That went against so much of what she…no, _they_ stood for. They would use violence when it was called for, but only to subdue, never to kill.

"I still haven't told you all about the best part." He was literally bouncing up and down in his seat. It was like two years of growth and newfound maturity had been washed away. At least it was with joy. That was something she could never deny him.

"See, after the first three weeks they want another student to join me. It's going to be so cool! Barkin's going to be announcing who it's going to be at an assembly tomorrow."

"So when exactly are you leaving?" His father asked.

"Monday. They've already got me booked on a flight. It's going to be so badical. First class baby! Japan hurricane rocks!"

"Typhoon." Kim deadpanned.

"Huh?"

"They havetyphoons in Japan."

"Whatever, it still rocks hard."

"Son, you realize you're going to miss Halloween and Thanksgiving, don't you?"

"Yeah, that kind of sucks but I wasn't really planning on doing Halloween until Monique tried to bamboozle us back into it. Thanksgiving's the worst, I'll be eating sushi instead of two big turkey dinners." Ron always managed to be right on time at both his house and the Possibles.

"This time maybe you'll pick up some of the language." His mother said, finally sitting down after milling around them for the whole conversation.

"You know, that's the funny thing. It seems like everyone there speaks fluent English. I think they teach it in the schools or something. They one guy I've met who used a translator turned out to speak our language, he just liked whispering to his pretty translator all the time."

"That sounds kind of strange." His father said.

"I guess if you're a billionaire toy manufacturer, you're entitled to be a little wacky that way. Besides, you should see his translator." He wagged his eyebrows for effect.

"Yeah, who you tried hitting on right after Brittina shot you down." Kim muttered.

"You asked Brittina out?" His father gave them a puzzled look.

"Ron asked every girl between fourteen and twenty, plus a couple even older, that he met that week." Kim laughed. At the time she thought it had been painful to watch, but that was more because of the constant rejection instead of immediate embarrassment. Later she came to realize he wasn't so much worried about the rejection while at the same time she couldn't work up the courage to ask Josh to the dance. Now it made her just a touch sad that of all the people he did ask, he hadn't once asked her other than to mention they always went to that sort of thing as friends before. That line of thinking at first made her happy that now she was the one going to dances with him and finally sad thinking he would now be away for the first two of the five big holidays of the winter months.

"Yeah, the three of us…"

"Hrk HEY!" Rufus squeaked from his position on top of Ron's head.

"Okay, the four of us were sipping mock-tails on her private plane on the way to Japan to foil Blue-boy and I just non-chal, uh, casually asked her to the Spirit Week Dance."

"At least by the time you met Nicky-Nick they'd broken up and you didn't get stuffed into a trash can." Kim laughed.

"So not. He'd have had his bodyguard do it." After meeting the Oh Boyz, he had discovered they were nothing more than pampered posers who could look pretty singing canned music. At least he still liked to listen to them.

"True." She said.

After dinner the two of them went up to his room to watch a movie on his computer (which was assembled by Wade and had a nice, up-to-date DVD player, a device his father still thought was a fad.) Kim snuggled in close to him, holding both his hands as he encircled her waist with his arms.

"I wish you didn't have to go, Honey." Kim said, only half paying attention to the monitor across the room.

"It could have been worse. Think what would have happened if they'd called me back during the summer."

"You think it's any different now? Ron, I get lonely for you when you go home at night. We're talking about a whole month apart and you know they won't let you bring your Ronnunicator."

He curled his nose a little. He simply called his alternately a Kimmunicator or just a communicator. Her name for it, while sweet, just kind of sounded funny and made him a tad uncomfortable and literally gave him a bad taste in his mouth, something like overcooked cabbage. "No, but I think of it this way. In just over four weeks I'll be back and I'll be a badical super-monkey-power ninja."

"Ron, the other students there have probably been training since their early childhood. You're just going to be there for a month, I don't think that's long enough to become a master."

"Dunno, KP, maybe if they can teach me to harness the MMP I won't need all that training. Maybe I'm an insta-ninja. Just take my essential Ron-ness and add Monkey Power, whamo!"

She reached up and touched his cheek, glancing up at him as she realized he actually had a five-o'clock-shadow. His face had change ever so slightly. He was now two inches taller than her and seemed to be growing more every day. Somewhere there was a dictionary with a picture of him beside 'late bloomer.'

"Ronnie, I'm going to say something and I know it's going to sound selfish and shallow…please don't go."

"I've got to KP. What if there are things I don't know about this power. What if I'm more dangerous to you without being able to control it. What if we're in a fight for our lives and I can't use it…or worse, what if, you know, when we do start doing things something bad happens. The last thing in the world I want is for you to get hurt and it'd be ten times worse if I'm the cause." He kissed the top of her head.

"What does some old mystical fighting power have to do with that?" She asked, deep sadness still tainting her voice.

"I don't know. Maybe nothing. See, we don't know. I don't know and that scares me a little. Those people are the only ones on Earth who really know what's happened to me."

Kim rolled halfway onto her side, just far enough so she could reach his lips. It was a long, warm kiss, not like the wilder, more passionate ones they shared when they were making out. There was more about love and deep connection in it.

"I love you, KP." He said as she turned her attention back to the movie.

"I know." She glanced up at him. He was smiling back at her. "I love you too, Ronnie. I know you need to go and you really want to go, so I don't have the right to hold you back. Like I said, it was a selfish thing to ask."

"Like you always say, KP, no big. You had to ask as much as I have to go."

She touched his cheek again. "Well, let's make the most of these last few days. I want to do something special tomorrow night and Saturday night. If you're not too busy getting ready to go I want to spend some time with you Sunday too."

"Sure thing, KP. Where do you want to go?"

"I'll leave that up to you. I, uh, want to ask one other thing."

"What's that?"

"Do you want to do something really special? I mean really, really special?" She glanced up at him.

"I'd like that, but it's only going to be a month. We've got our whole lives ahead of us."

"'Kay." She closed her eyes and snuggled in closer to him.

"Think of it this way. I'm going to be thinking about you every minute I'm there and I'll be dreaming about you at night."

"I like our dreams." She said, entwining her fingers with his.

* * *

Margaret On looked like an older, female version of her son. She was the type of woman who got what she wanted, when she wanted and that included getting her only child away from her Ex-husband, much as it displeased the boy. She didn't know why he adored the man so much. He was in and out of prison regularly and why he wasn't there at the moment puzzled her deeply. 

The last thing she wanted was for her son to end up like him.

The divorce had been final for over a year now, but the legal wrangling went on, seemingly forever. The worst of it had to do with Cary himself. It didn't help that he wanted to live with his father, but with the man being a convicted criminal it wasn't hard to get a judge's order giving her sole custody.

It made her bitterly sad that, in a few weeks, he would turn eighteen and all of it would be for naught. He would probably be on the first bus back to Go City, leaving a promising future and a fantastic education at one of the best school systems in the Midwest behind. The only solace she took was that he might not want to leave his girlfriend behind again. She liked Zita Flores, though she found it surprising her son would go for the tiny Puerto Rican. That famous redhead he went to school with seemed so much more his type.

She was already late for a meeting when the phone rang. She didn't even have to bother looking at the caller ID. She knew who it would be. "I'll get him." She said in an icy voice.

Cary was sitting on the floor, his back against the couch reading a textbook, making notes from time to time. "Here, it's the Freak for you." She said, handing him the receiver.

"He's my father, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call him that." He said, his voice rivaling hers for its chill.

He took the cordless handset and went into the next room. "Hey Dad…no, that didn't work. Remember that little blonde guy she was with? Yeah, well, he's not so much a little skinny weakling any more…well, no, but she's all wrapped up in him now. I've got to try another tactic…yes, Dad, you'll have your revenge. Don't worry. No…Zita's just a bonus, especially since she used to date that little guy.

"Here's the cool part. I just heard they're sending him to Japan for a whole month. Once he's out of the picture I'll have a clear shot at her…no, there's no reason for you to come here. When I make my move she won't know what hit her and he'll be clear across the globe snacking on sushi and geisha girls. By the time he's back she won't even remember him…cool. Hey, Dad, maybe you'd better call me on my cell from now on. Mom's kinda pissed about you calling…oh, yeah, well I guess you like it when she's that way now. Hey, I'll see you soon. Love you too, bye Dad."

He turned off the handset and pulled his cell out of his pocket. He dialed a number from memory, not wanting to commit it to the internal memory.

"_Konnichiwa…hai!...wakarimas…arigato!_" He closed the phone and returned it to its place.

The smile that crossed his lips would have done any supervillain on Earth proud.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	22. Part XXII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXII**

* * *

"So who do you think it's going to be?" Kim asked as they walked into school Friday morning.

"Well, I'm hoping she's a major hottie." He said, adjusting his backpack on one shoulder, his other hand wrapped around Kim's.

"Would that 'major hottie' happen to have red hair and green eyes?" She asked, grinning slyly at him.

"Maybe. Then again she could have platinum blonde hair, or raven black with deep brown eyes. Ooooh, maybe she could even have wavy black hair and dark brown eyes and cocoa colored skin. Yeah, that would be cool."

"You're assuming it's going to be a girl. For all you know it could be that big guy with the all the comics in Japanese who thought he was a lock two years ago."

"Nah, he graduated last year. I think he's running a comic book shop downtown."

"Well, if it's not a guy, this girl better either be really plain or be a redhead."

"Oh, so it's going to be Marjorie Bennett? I dunno, she's still got braces."

"Humph. So you're noticing who is kissable now, are you?" She teased. "Or do I take it that you actually do want me to share you with Hope, Tara and Monique."

"Nah! That'd be way too dangerous."

"You got that right, buster."

"Felix would snap me in two with the cyber-thingies in his chair if I ever kissed Mon again."

Kim stopped in her tracks and let go of his hand. "What do you mean 'again'?" Her free hand snapped to her hip.

"I, uh, mean if I ever kissed Monique. Yeah, ever kissed her." He started as if to tug at his collar, but he was wearing his bowling shirt so he made do rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, you said you kiss her again, as in you've kissed her before. So which is it? Have you kissed Monique, yes or no?"

"I, uh, well, she kinda kissed me. It was an ambush kiss, I wasn't expecting it. She was just, uh, wanting to know what was so special about it and all, it didn't mean anything." He forced himself to look in her eyes. It was the truth, at least as far as he was concerned but he still was embarrassed about it.

"I thought we didn't have any secrets between us. Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Because she made me promise not to. She knew how you'd get and she didn't mean anything by it. What was I supposed to do? Break a promise to…aw man, now I have."

"When did this happen? Is that what Monique was teasing you so hard about at lunch yesterday?"

"Yeah. It was back last summer. Remember the time you were supposed to be cooking me dinner? She took me home to get dressed and she kinda laid one on me. I'm sorry, I promised her I wouldn't talk about it."

Her expression softened a little, though not completely. "So, how was it?"

"She's not bad. I guess she doesn't have the practice you do…and she tasted funny."

"Tasted funny?"

"Uh, not bad or anything, just different. I'm used to kissing you. I like the way you taste when we kiss." He did his best to emulate her puppy dog pout, knowing it really wasn't effective on her.

"Okay, bottom line it for me _Ronnie_. Who else have you kissed since we've been going together?" Her glare hardened once more. "Who else made you promise not to tell the girlfriend you love oh so much?"

"Not a soul, I swear. Tara gave me a little peck on the cheek, but she does that to all her male friends."

"Well, I guess that's all right, though I may need to have a little chat with our resident suicide blonde." Ron reached for her hand, but she pulled back. "Uh, uh. You're in the doghouse, mister. For future reference, if anybody lays an 'ambush kiss' on you, you're going to tell them right up front you don't make promises to keep that from me. You know how important that is to me. It's just like cheating."

They resumed walking, though slightly further apart than usual. "See, Monique knew you'd be mad, that's why she made me promise."

"I'm not so much mad as I'm disappointed. Well, I'm a little mad, at both of you. Ron, it's good that you try to keep secrets when you're supposed to, but that's not the kind of thing you should promise. It's almost as bad as if you'd done…it and promised not to tell me just because I'd be mad."

"Yeah, but if I did that, it'd take a lot more participation on my part. It's a lot easier to get out of that than just a kiss."

"You mean you didn't kiss her back?"

"Well, not like I do with you."

"Then you did." She said flatly.

"It wouldn't have been polite not to…uh…it's kind or a reflex like, remember the first time you kissed me?"

"You enjoyed that though, even if I was freaking you out. You didn't wrap your arms around her like that, did you?"

"No."

"Okay, then I forgive you. This time." She grinned slightly, remembering that kiss. She'd ambushed him herself when she was under the influence of the Moodulator. Sure enough, even though Ron was going bananas trying to figure out why she was suddenly so interested in him, his arms had gone around her back, embracing her as they kissed. If he hadn't passed out with a silly grin on his face the probably would have been kissing for some time. It felt that good.

"Ron, there's one way you can get back in my good graces."

"What's that? Sneak off behind the gym before the assembly?"

"Uh, no. I'm not going to chance Barkin or Principal Director catching us, nice as that sounds. No, I want to know, once and for all where you learned to kiss. I want you to tell me, no matter how embarrassing it is." Kim leaned against her locker, her eyebrows up, waiting for a response.

"It's not as bad as you think, not like I'd practiced on a pillow or something soft or anything." He paused and let out a breath. "Do you remember that old movie, the one about the nerds going to college?"

"I think so. The one with that guy who went on to be on the emergency room show?"

"Yeah, that's it. Do you remember what one of the main nerds told the cheerleader when they, uh, did it?"

"No."

"Well, he said something to the effect that the guys she normally fooled around with were jocks and all they thought about were sports, but all he thought about was…" he looked around and whispered, "…sex."

"So you go around thinking about sex all the time?" Kim's eyebrows really went up.

"No. Not all the time at least."

"Uh huh."

"It's just, I think about kissing you. A lot. For a long time. So I thought about it so much for so long I just kinda naturally knew how to. I just did what felt right and it sort of works. Did that make sense."

"Yeah, it did. Actually I'm kind of relieved it wasn't something weird." She said, opening her locker to put away most of her books. "So why the big secret about it?"

"Oh, just having some fun with you. You always made such an issue about it I just wanted to torture you, just a little."

"Very funny." She reached out and gripped his hand, giving it a good squeeze while pursing her lips at him.

Ron glanced around and quickly leaned in to give her a real peck.

They both looked up as they heard the tell-tale click that the intercom had come on. "Attention students. Listen up." Kim rolled her eyes. Barkin always said that, even if it was redundant after asking for their attention. "There will be an assembly today in the gym at the start of second period. It won't take long, so don't think you're getting out of class. That is all."

"Darn, I was hoping it'd be first period. Now I'm going to be wondering all first period who it's going to be." Ron said, shouldering his pack.

"Still hoping it's me?"

"Who else would it be? You're the only other person here who knows the real score over there. It'd be just like Sensei to pull some string to get you over there. Maybe he wants to see the two of us in action again."

"You're just hoping for a little Japanese style action." She put a finger lightly on his chest. "I know about those baths."

"KP, those things aren't all they're cracked up to be. Most of the students over there are guys, you know."

"Oh, now there's another reason for me to want to go." She purred.

"KP!"

"Look, no touch." She said. She checked to see if the coast was clear and opened her locker once more and pulled Ron in for another kiss, this time way more than just a peck. "See, you I get to touch. When I look at pretty boys it just makes me think of kissing you."

"Oh, I see. Should I take you to one of those women's bar places tonight?"

"Not on your life, but I like the way you think. See you in an hour."

"Wouldn't miss it."

He watched her go, his eyes lingering where the end of her long hair seemed to point. She could even make sweat pants look good, so he really appreciated the view, especially since she wore them a little on the tight side. Her hair was getting longer too and he liked that. It no longer ended between her shoulders but was almost halfway down her back, still tapering to a little, flippy point.

_I am so going to miss that while I'm over there._ At least for three weeks. In his mind Kim was the only logical choice. He had finally been allowed to share his secret with her and she already was an expert in so many styles of marshal arts. Adding a little Ninjitsu wouldn't hurt a bit.

He wandered into class, having visions of Kim wearing a short little silk kimono…and nothing else and maybe, just maybe getting her to take a nice, long soak with him in one of those big hot tubs after lathering each other up. She'd never dream of doing anything like that here in the States but 'when in Rome…"

"Hey, Ron." Zita stood in the classroom door, her books still slung under her arm as if she was waiting for him.

"Morning, Zita. How's it?"

"I'm okay. I heard you're going to Japan in the exchange program this year."

"Yeah, it's badical

"You're going to be careful and all, aren't you?" She asked, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Yeah. I went a couple years ago and there wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"Just be careful. You're such a sweet, nice guy and I don't want to see anything happen to my friends."

"Sure, Zita. I'll be okay. You know, me and Kim are getting into scrapes all the time and we come out okay." His expression tightened as he realized how she was looking at him. When she had first returned her eyes had lit up, at least until she found out that he was already in a relationship. Now there was a hint of fear in her eyes that he just couldn't fathom.

"Is there something you're not telling me? Do you know something I don't?"

"No, Ron. I just remember that you're kind of lost without your friends around." She looked over his shoulder, as if she was expecting to see somebody or was making sure someone didn't see them. "Possible won't be around to 'have your back' as the two of you say."

"I'll be okay, Z, I promise. Hey, let's get our seats before Barkin gets here."

"Sure." She said, glancing back at him as they entered.

* * *

"…and the student going to Norway is Rachael Vinson. That trip is being sponsored by Ogehs investments." Barkin read from his list, the utter disdain he felt for the program itself obvious in his voice.

Ron shuddered slightly, though he really didn't know why. It wasn't the fact his mother actually worked for the US subsidiary of that company, there was just something about that nation that gave him the spilly willies.

"You still don't like Norway, do you." Kim said, her arm wrapped around his as they listened to who was selected for the various exchange programs. Last year four students had been selected where two years ago it had just been Ron. Several multi-national companies had gotten on board, hoping to glean some community involvement credit in the eyes of the public.

"You know what they eat there? Meat cakes. I don't even know what that is, but it just sounds gross."

"Ron, you like meat."

"Yeah, inside a tortilla shell. Meat and cake just don't sound right together. They even eat something else called lamb and cabbage stew. Just thinking about that makes me want to hurl."

Kim rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly.

"You think your Mom and Dad are going to be cool with both of us spending a week together in Japan?" He asked her.

"I don't see why not. It's not like we're going there just to shack up or something. Even if we did have the time, we wouldn't do anything we couldn't talk to them about. Well, almost."

"I am so stoked about this. Finally we can share that part of my life." He wrapped his hand around hers, already jumping ahead to the final week of his stay in his mind.

"Don't count your chickens and all. They haven't announced my name yet."

"Who else could it be? They know we're a team, what better way to train for it than in Ninja High?"

"Shhhh, I think this is it." She gripped his hand tighter.

"This year there is a special program in Yamanuchi, Japan." Barkin started. "Nakasumi Toys has come on board as the sponsor and this year the school has selected two student. One will spend an entire month in the program and I've already discussed this with him. Once again, Ron Stoppable will represent Middleton High School and the United States as an ambassador of friendship. As I said, this is a special program for him, so there will be no counterpart attending in his place while he is gone."

"Aw, an here I was hoping Hirotaka would come back again." Kim cooed, teasing Ron about him. As embarrassing as the whole thing was, with all the fighting she had done with Monique over him, it was Ron who later reminded Kim how her eyes lit up when he walked through the door at the airport.

Barkin continued. "For the last week of the program in Japan, we will have the usual exchange. They are sending a student by the name of Hayata, who will arrive as our second exchange student leaves for the land of Sushi and Ramen noodles.

_Here is comes_, both teens thought, gripping each other's hands so tight they were cutting off circulation to their fingers.

"The Middleton High School student selected by our sister school in Yamanuchi, Japan is…"

He paused, looking right into Kim's eyes. She started grinning from ear to ear.

Then his eyes shifted to another section of the bleachers.

"… Miss Bonnie Rockwaller."

* * *

A/N - I've completed the cover art for this fic and it's on display at DevArt, which can be accessed through my profile. There are also a number of other pieces related to this and other fics, including cover art for **It Finally Happened**.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	23. Part XXIII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXIII**

* * *

Ron sat lotus style on the side of the road, patiently waiting. The bus had dropped him off fifteen minutes earlier, leaving him with just his backpack and the remains of the lunch he had picked up at the airport while waiting for the shuttle. In the distance he could just make out the crest of a ridge neat the peak of Mt. Yamanuchi. To the naked eye the school was all but invisible from this distance, the tips of the buildings blending perfectly with the thin mountain spires.

This time he was far better prepared than he had been two years earlier. Besides the half eaten Chimirito (wow, they sure tasted different here for some reason) in a rolled up bag he only had his camping backpack. He learned the hard way the last time not to bring almost everything he owned with him. When he found out he had to not only walk to the school, but the path led almost straight up the mountain itself, he was forced to hide most of his luggage and by the time he finally made it to the top he had stashed all the rest, leaving him only with the clothes on his back and one last, cold, stale Naco.

Flying first class was something new to him. Sure, he'd been on private jets many times, but that had been business and more often than not Kim would insist they use the time to study or catch forty winks. There wasn't as much personal space in the first class lounge of the Japanese Airways plane, but the seats themselves were huge, made of soft leather filled with something soft yet supporting. For the first time ever he found it easy to fall asleep despite knowing how high he was above the ground.

After his nap they had actually offered him a choice of sake or even beer in a strangely shaped silver can. The thought of sake intrigued him but the memory of Kim's trouble at the party back in the summer was still fresh in his mind, so he chose some Japanese pop at random. One taste of that (it was made by the American company who made his favorite cola, but the similarity ended there) and he wished he actually had tried the rice wine. Of course it took a while to get the attention of the flight attendant, who had been by every few minutes before. Maybe it was an inside joke among them that Americans found the drink unpleasant.

He was alone on his row, which actually made him a little sad. Every so often he would look at the empty window seat and wish Kim was with him. He rarely traveled alone. In fact, the only times he could readily recall doing so was his last trip to Japan and a quick run down to the Amazon to get a flower he needed to save Kim's life. The former was spent in coach, so he was crammed in with the rest of humanity for the fourteen hour flight and he didn't feel so lonely. The latter he was too worried about getting back to Kim in time and couldn't remember anything else about the flights. He also had the benefit of keeping in touch with Wade for most of that trip since he had the Kimmunicator with him and he only briefly lost the signal as the plane crossed one of the few gaps in the satellite signal.

Plus Rufus was with him.

Friday night's date was scrubbed when his little buddy fell ill. He was listless and wouldn't even squeak. He almost panicked when the little naked mole rat refused a chunk of Stilton. They spent several hours worried sick waiting for the exotic pets specialist to arrive at the emergency veterinarian clinic. It turned out to only be a mild case of food poisoning, which itself was shocking. He always seemed to be able to eat just about anything any time and in any quantity. It was a wonder the little rodent wasn't a big as his head.

Kim swore up and down she hadn't fixed anything in the kitchen except for coffee (the one and only thing she could make well in there) so there wasn't any chance he had gotten into anything of hers.

They kept him overnight for observation, mainly since most naked mole rats are communal creatures, living in vast groups underground in a society much more like bees than any kind of mammal. The fact he lived alone with a human, was significantly more intelligent than most of his kind, ate human food with gusto most of the time and was now well past their normal lifespan while seemingly still in his prime made him a special case the vet didn't quite know how to deal with.

Ron has suspicions why, at nearly six, Rufus was so overall healthy but he had no confirmation on it. He was round and smooth, instead of wrinkly. His eyesight wasn't the best but it was better than his nearly blind kin. He had a bad moment wondering if that alien scientist he had met in Hawaii was right about him actually being an alien genetics experiment after all, but he recalled the little girl emailing Kim that they had located the real Experiment 607. No, it was something else entirely.

It was something he would have to ask Sensei about, something that made it doubly sad he had to leave him with Wade.

Wade's home had been an utter surprise. You could actually see the house from Kim's room. They had known him since he was nine yet until the twelve year old genius had offered to care for Rufus they had no idea where he lived. They almost didn't get to see him, his mother taking so much time hugging the two of them when they arrived.

His room was actually in the basement, most of it taken up with a holographic simulation chamber and his computer center. They were expecting a jumble of converted ordinary computer equipment, but he had been busy. There were still lots of monitors and keyboards hanging at all angles around his complicated looking leather chair but the main console was an integrated system, with all sorts of controls. Off to one side was a workshop with what looked like a partially completed jetpack of a new design, using a safer, more reliable power source than their old rocket packs.

Wade obviously knew what his little buddy needed. A huge network of large sized 'habitrail' tubes had been set up, simulating the underground environment he would normally live in, as well as providing a miniature terminal where he could play Everlot to his tiny heart's content.

Before they left Wade handed both of them capsules to swallow. They eyed him dubiously until he explained they were new tracking chips. They worked by interacting with a signal from the GPS satellites he employed instead of actually sending out a signal. That way they wouldn't be detectable without the specific signal and they wouldn't be destroyed like the one Gemini fried with a power surge. He wouldn't go into any details about how the devices would find their way into the back of their neck or how he managed to get the old chips into them but they trusted him and swallowed them.

He had been in Japan only a few hours, but he was already missing Kim mightily. He could only imagine what it was like for her. He hoped she had a good time Trick-or-treating with Monique, Felix, Tara and Jason. It was already Tuesday morning for her and he found himself wishing he had some way of contacting her. Just as he suspected he was told to leave all communication devices behind. The only way they had of reaching him was to call somebody in a nearby village and have a note delivered, if such a thing was even allowed.

Maybe Sensei would teach him the mystical astral thingy. Kim seemed to think Ron had done that for her before, but he had no idea how he had managed it even if that's really what it was. That would be so cool, though he'd have no way of knowing if it even worked until he got home thirty days later.

Bonnie was the biggest surprise of this whole adventure. When Barkin announced her name his first thought had been how disappointed Kim looked. They had been so sure it was going to be her. Bonnie, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to do with the Ninja school. She didn't have anything to do with any of them except to be a thorn in Kim's side. The only solace was that she would at least have a week-long break from the 'high school evil', though that meant, if she really was coming to the school, he'd have to deal with her for that week.

Up to the point where they noticed Rufus was under the weather Kim had been stomping around mad. Later she realized another fact, one that made both of them really nervous.

Bonnie hadn't reacted at all to her selection. If she had, it was only with a smug little smile. She couldn't be looking forward to seeing Hirotaka, was she? They had both assumed her farewell kiss to the well coifed ninja was a sort of punishment for Brick, who had tried to beat the guy up for all the attention his girlfriend was paying him.

Then again Brick had dumped her after the prom, leaving her, for all they knew, alone. He just couldn't imagine Sensei sending for her just to reunite her with a prospective boyfriend.

Ron checked his watch again. The bus had left some thirty minutes earlier. The last time he was here Yori appeared as soon as his ride was out of sight. Certainly they knew he was here by now. He could already feel hidden eyes watching him. What were they waiting for?

Then it occurred to him that he had no idea where he was supposed to go before. The bus had dropped him at a seemingly desolate spot on the road. He couldn't even see the trailhead he had been led to then. Now it was as plain as day to him. Maybe they knew he didn't need a guide now. They were expecting him to find his own way 'home.'

Certain of himself, he polished off the last of his cold food and stuffed the trash into his pack. He shrugged into the straps and connected the belt, resting the weight on his hips instead of his back. He started off at a brisk walk, intent on burning up the relatively flat part of the journey but saving as much energy as possible for the difficult climb to the ridge.

For some reason it didn't seem as steep as it had been the last time. Maybe it was just the memory of the climb and how it taxed him. Taxed heck, it had downright nearly killed him. He was at the point of collapse when he finally reached the hidden entrance at the waterfall. Now he found himself picking up the pace. Perhaps all the training he had been doing with Kim, coupled with the improvements she had made in his diet were paying off after all. He certainly felt stronger. Even the pack, which itself was stuffed with everything he could think he would need, didn't weigh him down.

He allowed himself a slight smile when he caught movement off to the side. He was most definitely being shadowed by somebody. It wouldn't even surprise him one little bit if it was Yori who was doing it, though it was likely he would not have spotted her unless she wished to be.

Yori was a big question mark for him. She did seem interested in him, at least in hindsight. He had been completely and totally oblivious to it the last time he had seen her and didn't even know until Kim explained it to him. After that it was perfectly obvious and he spent a little time beating himself up for not seeing it, especially since Kim was apparently unavailable to him at that point.

"Well, you got me." She said that day. His smile got a little wider as he got the double meaning of the phrase. Maybe that's what she meant then, maybe not, but here, today he had her and in twenty nine and a half days he would be headed home to see her once more. It gave him something to look forward to. He mentally replayed the kiss she had given him as they called for his plane to board. Both their parents were there to see him off and his mother and her father had looked decidedly uncomfortable at the display, though their respective mates kept them in check.

He passed a familiar landmark and realized he was half way there. With a smirk he picked up the pace, reveling in his newfound stamina.

Kim had changed his life and he hoped he had changed hers for better as well.

* * *

Afternoon was drifting into evening and the skies had turned deep umber. A few flakes of snow were blowing around in the light breeze. It was still a bit early for a real snowfall at that elevation, but it was drifting down from the peak. Lanterns were being lit as darkness fell, the colors mixing to create an almost surreal light around the ancient school.

One of the older students was outside, standing on the porch of the shoji walled dormitory where she had lived since her early childhood. The breeze caught her nearly shoulder length hair and the loose folds of her white gi just slightly. If she felt the cold, she paid it no heed. Other things were occupying her mind.

A short man walked up behind her, his wooden sandals making no sound as he moved. He seemed absolutely ancient, though he moved with the grace of a man in his prime. Despite his practiced silence, she knew he was there.

"_He's coming_." She said, using her native language for perhaps the last time during his stay. To make it easier on their guest they would all speak English, which each and every one of them could do fluently.

"_I am impressed. I would have though it would take Stoppable-san longer to realize he must come to the school on his own this time._"

"_He is far more intelligent than his friends give him credit for._" She said, forgetting to mask her disdain for certain people.

"_Hai, Yori-chan. But do not hold that against them. He wears his buffoonery as a mask, though he does not know yet he does so. That is his nature and is part of who he is._"

She turned to look at her old master. "_Sensei-sama, is it true he has given his love to Possible-san?_"

He simply nodded in response.

Yori turned away from him, looking at the bridge leading to the entrance. She had missed her chance back in the spring and mere weeks later the inevitable finally happened. It was clear to her how he felt about the redhead. There was history and caring there that she could not hope to overcome. She had seen it in his eyes then. If only she had made her own feeling known then instead of relying on fate to bring them together.

"_Child. Do not be sad. He has given his love to her, but he has not yet pledged himself to her forever. If they are meant to be, then that is what fate has set out for them. If not, then perhaps there is a chance that he was meant for you instead. Do what your heart tells you_."

"_Are you saying I should try to win his heart? Is that fair to him? Is it even the right thing to do if he truly loves her?_"

"_That would all depend on whether that love is true and deep. He is like you, still a child and he has not the wisdom to know where his heart truly lies yet. I would warn you, if you know in your heart that he does love her with all his, then you must do what is right._"

"_Hai, Sensei-sama._"

"_Your skills as in Ninjitsu are complete, but as a person you are still incomplete. You must find the wisdom to know where your own heart lies. Whether that is with Stoppable-san or not, I cannot tell you. Do you love him?_"

"_Part of me says yes, but another part does not know. I do know I want his love._"

"_Then you are on the path to wisdom about love. Trust me, you will find where that path leads, though no one knows whether it will be over the next month or years down the road._" Without another word he took his leave of his cherished student.

Sensei did not like misleading her this way. He had seen with his own eyes the love Stoppable-san had for Possible-san. He knew it was true and deep, but it still had to be tested. There were concerns that were far greater than the love life of one student, no matter how much he personally cared for her.

The boy was the yin to his beloved's yang. They were opposite sides of a coin, the halves that made a whole. In the coming years that bond would be tested again and again and the fate of so many depended on it remaining true.

He knelt at a shoji door and reverently slid it aside. The young man inside bowed to him and left. Very soon he would send that particular boy to the United States. Hayata was a gifted student, perhaps one of the best he had ever trained, but he still had a wild spirit that would need to be harnessed before he would become a master. He knew he could not take the spirit from him, it was part of what made him whole. No, it would have to be channeled. Given free reign it would only make him dangerous.

Sitting on a stand alone was a Katana. The second cradle that should have held a matching smaller sword, a _wakizashi_ sat empty. If there ever had been a companion weapon he wasn't certain. The history only mentioned the Lotus Blade. He knelt in front of it for several minutes before taking it from its stand.

As such blades went, it was somewhat plain in appearance. The true nature of the sword could only be seen by those who were skilled in the mystical arts or, by right of fate, had the power to wield it. The weapon was only spartan because it lacked any embellishments that it did not require. The blade itself was perfect, the edge keen beyond what any mortal could hone. There was no blemish on the metal, though it had been used to carve the school from the living rock of the mountain itself.

"_Your master is coming_." He said to the sword as he placed it back on the stand.

_May we all pray he does not fail in his calling._

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	24. Part XXIV

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXIV**

* * *

It had become truly dark by the time Ron reached the waterfall. Even being in far better shape than ever before he was still quite winded due to the elevation and the fact it was still a strenuous climb. It was also quite a bit colder than he expected and he almost stopped to unpack a sweater but he thought better of it. In the weeks to come he would spend most of the time wearing only a white training gi, no matter how cold it got. Bulky clothing would only hinder a ninja's movements.

Just before he stepped behind the veil of falling water he caught the hint of movement out of the corner of his eye. He was still being followed and whoever was doing so was either sloppy or wished for him to see them.

He already discarded the notion that it might be Yori. It would be silly to think that such a pretty, smart and talented young woman would hold onto a crush for a modestly skilled, plain looking American when she was surrounded by so many young men her age at the school. She had known him for what? Ten days, tops? While she had actually grown up with some of the students. Certainly there was someone among them who had formed close bonds with her.

Paper lanterns swayed slightly in the cold breeze, bathing the school in an undulating, ethereal light. There was a slight hint of flurries, though it was still just slightly to warm to consider any significant snowfall.

The school seemed utterly deserted, though he was aware of many eyes upon him. It was early yet so the older students should have been in their evening training sessions. He thought it odd they might be putting on a show of sorts for his arrival. He cracked a slight smile as the sound of a tittering laugh, probably from a younger, less disciplined student reached him as he made his way to the central pagoda.

One moment the raised platform seemed empty, the next Sensei was standing right in the middle as if he had been there the whole time. Knowing what he knew about the abilities taught in this place it was very likely he had been.

At about that moment he realized there were at least three dozen older students in the courtyard as well.

He walked up to the edge of the platform and stopped, bowing low toward the school's wizened master. Behind him the students all bowed as well.

Sensei returned the bow, though not as lowly as Ron or the students had. "Welcome back to the Yamanuchi school, Stoppable-san. You honor us with your presence."

"I am the one honored to be invited, Sensei-sama." He said bowing again.

Though he showed no outward sign, Sensei was pleased with the boy's attempt at proper decorum. Of course, the last time he simply did not know and could be excused his ignorance. He also sensed the growth of maturity in him as he rapidly neared adulthood.

"Walk with me, Stoppable-san." The old man said, turning aside.

Ron followed him as he walked into a seemingly empty part of the school grounds.

"Perhaps you are wondering why you have been called back here after so much time."

"I was a little. I started to think I only got called here the first time so I could protect the Lotus Blade."

"Yes, but that was only part of the reason. Do you recall when you followed your enemy, Monkey Fist into space to prevent his becoming the Supreme Monkey Master?"

"Uh, yeah, thought I have to be honest with you, I didn't really follow him, I kind of got on that rocket by accident."

"Accident? If a man's fate befalls him, is it truly an accident?"

Ron puzzled that over a moment as Sensei bid him sit on the same stone bench where he first asked him to retrieve the ancient magic sword.

"Do you recall what happened to you next?"

"Uh, well, see, we've been on so many missions they all tend to run together in my head."

"I mean what happened right when you returned home."

"You mean all the monkey ninjas? They followed me around for a few days before Kim and I managed to run them all off. What about them? I just thought they were after me because I beat their master again."

Sensei merely nodded. "That is a good, logical explanation."

"Um, sure."

"It is ultimately wrong." He waited a moment before going on. "There are still many mysteries that even I do not understand, but we have waited to call you back here until you were ready for the next stage in your training."

"Oh, so it does have something to do with my Mystical Monkey Power."

"Indeed, Stoppable-san. You are one of only three beings in the world to have such power and because you destroyed the idols, you are the only ones who will ever have it any more unless a way is found for you to share it." He opened his small eyes as far as they could for effect.

"I didn't know it could be shared." He admitted.

"It may be…possible. We simply do not know yet but until the power was divided among those idols it was passed along by the joining of souls. For now, however, we must foster that power within you."

"How do I do that. I can't even control it, it just comes and goes."

"That, Stoppable-san, is why you are here. Like your comic books say, 'With great power comes great responsibility.'"

"Hey, Kim says that."

"Indeed. It is my responsibility to teach you how to bring forth and control your power. You are not here to become a master of Ninjitsu. That is not your calling. You are here to start on the road to become the Great Monkey Warrior, a Paladin, if you will. A protector of all humanity. You see, while I teach the arts that some use for evil, assassination, espionage, the true purpose of Ninjitsu is the perfection of body and soul through discipline. That is why, when we train, we wear the white gi instead of the black. My students are trained to serve humanity, not the darker needs of the few. It is with that purpose I choose to train you.

"Now, the hour is late and you have had a long road in arriving."

"It wasn't so bad this time, Sensei. I actually feel good after making the climb."

"I am happy to hear it. That means your body and your soul are becoming one already."

"Actually, it's because Kim has been working my butt off trying to get me in better shape." Ron admitted.

"Yes. As I said, your body and your soul are becoming one."

"Sensei, who was following me on the trail?" Ron asked as they got up from their seat.

"I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about. Nobody was sent to follow you. It was my intention you make the journey alone." His mustache twitched higher. "Perhaps you imagined such, thinking you would curry some favor by spotting them."

"I guess I was seeing things."

"It is time to take your rest Stoppable-san. We can discuss many things in much greater detail tomorrow."

"Four am?" he smiled at the master.

"Indeed. You will rise and train with my students in the morning, then later I will take you aside to begin your training in Tai Xing Pek Kwar. Goodnight, Stoppable-san."

Ron was a little confused. He kept replaying what he saw on the trail as a young boy led him to his cell. He was absolutely certain he had seen something…someone shadowing him as he climbed the mountain. He wondered again if it had been Yori. So far he had not seen her, though he knew he had only seen those who wished to be seen, at least among the older, better trained students.

A bath would have felt good, but the hour was already getting late and he knew he needed to get at least some rest before the grueling training started the next day. Before he had gone to bed each night in fear of the almost impossible schedule. Now he actually relished the prospect, knowing how much he had benefited from his brief stay.

Just as he was lying down on the tatami, he heard a voice in the hallway. "Konichiwa, Stoppable-san."

"Uh, come in."

The screen slid aside. Kneeling at the entrance was the schools master cook. She bowed to him and placed a tray just inside the door.

"Master Lunch-Lady, did I see you at my school a couple months ago?"

"I not know what mean, round-eye. I cook meals for Yamanuchi. No time cook for lazy round-eyes. Why ask that?"

"Uh, nothing, I guess I was mistaken."

"Round-eye, I have name. Nooni."

"Okay, Nooni-sama." He bowed to her.

"Sama. You funny round-eye. Sleep good." She cackled as she closed the shoji.

She was gone a few moments before he looked down at the tray as a familiar aroma finally reached his nose. Sitting there steaming was not a few cakes of rice with raw fish but two grande-sized Nacos with a side of yellow Mexican-style rice.

"Booyah." He whispered as he sat down for a late-evening meal.

* * *

"So what do you think?" Felix asked Monique, who was sitting next to him on his sofa. It felt good to be close to him though it did take her help to get him out of the chair. He apparently didn't mind one bit that several times his face ended up mashed against the softer parts of her anatomy, though he wasn't quite sure whether that had been a happy accident or not. Not like he cared either way. He might not have had the use of his legs but he was still a guy.

"About what? Whether I should wear the soft, fuzzy, magical to touch sweater or the slinky top and just wear a poofy coat?" She played with the back of his head, running her fingers through his short hair.

He flinched a little at the touch, not because it was unpleasant but because he wasn't used to anyone touching him. He saw the look on her face and leaned a little closer to her, fighting down the reaction. That seemed to satisfy her since she started playing with his ear. "No, I mean about Possible. Last night if I heard the term 'fifth wheel' one more time I was going to stand up and slap her silly."

She grinned at him, knowing if anything could make him stand up for any reason it would be alright with her. "Oh, she'll be okay in a couple days. She's just got to deal with missing Ron. Those two have been joined at the hip since the prom, so she doesn't know what to do with herself right now. Personally, I think the two of them could stand some time apart. It's like they're one person."

"You know, I didn't get that at first, but man, the way she bugged out when Stoppable decided to go to the Zombie Mayhem Bash with me. The girl didn't know the first thing about the game, at least at first. She's got promise but I don't think her heart was truly in the game. Funny thing is, they weren't even going together then."

"Tell me about it. The only difference between now and then is she kisses him. Constantly, but I think she'll be fine."

"I don't know. Have they ever spent any decent time apart before?"

"Two years ago when Ron went to Japan the first time."

"So they've seen each other almost constantly since. Yow. I really, really like you but I don't think I could stand being with anyone that much. What happened then, she get all down in the dumps like she is now?"

"Well, not so much, at least on the surface. The school over there sent this major hotness named Hirotaka and Kim and I sort of fought over him."

He arched an eyebrow "Possible? Fighting with you over a guy?"

"Yeah, it's like she became this whole other person just to get him to pay attention to her. She even called in a mission favor just to get to him at the mall before I could to ask him to a concert. To this day I don't know what kind of mojo that guy had working."

"Sounds a lot more to me like it wasn't this Hiro-something guy's mojo, it was somebody else's. I don't think she'd get all like that just over some good looking guy"

"Yeah, maybe, but it wasn't just her. That guy had every girl in the school fawning over him, including the ones with boyfriends, so I don't think it was all about missing Dude-boy."

"So what's the Princess of Sulk doing tonight?"

"A fate worse than death."

"What, she's going up against Dementor or somebody without Stoppable at her side?"

"Worse. I think a real mission would do her some good right now, but I think her being cut off by the new rules at school have a lot of people looking somewhere else for help. No, I mean something far more horrible than any of her usual freaks. Her parents are taking her and her brothers to J.P. Bearymores to celebrate something-or-another. Some kind of test results came back on the twins and they're all whooping it up about it."

"Ouch. I don't even like going in there to play the video games. The controls are all sticky and you can get better pizza in the frozen foods section than you can at that place."

"I won't go in there for love or money." She was getting a little tired of talking, at least for the moment. It wasn't that she didn't like talking with her boyfriend. She could talk all night with just about anyone on Earth, whether they spoke English or not, but she had other things in mind. His mother wasn't home and likely wouldn't be until later that evening, having driven to Boulder for a robotics conference. She had a very good looking young man on the couch with him and she wanted him to herself, not with Kim. They could baby-sit her some other nights.

Monique liked kissing, she was just so picky about boys that she didn't get the chance often enough, at least for her liking. She wanted guys to appreciate her for the fine specimen of womanhood she was, but something about most guys really ticked her off to the point she almost never went on a second date.

Before he could say another word she had her lips against his. Felix seemed to know the fine line between hungrily joining in and pawing all over her. Maybe it was his inexperience, maybe not. At least he was enjoying himself. Yes, she could tell that he certainly was enjoying himself, that much was clear.

They didn't start out dating. Much of the time they simply got thrown together by their mutual friendship with the 'Stoppables' but one night, while Kim and Ron were off doing their own thing they had been left by themselves, with no one else to talk to but each other. Somehow or another their conversation had turned to the nature of his condition, about what he could or could not feel.

"I can't feel it if somebody lightly touches my legs, but something harder, like a pinch, I can feel the pain. The rest works, kinda, though I don't feel as strongly as other people. Something to do with motor control nerves and all. I just can't make my legs work."

Monique had the strongest urge to kiss him then, just to see what it was like. It was a strange, awkward moment, but the kiss was good. In hindsight, it was more than good, since it was followed by more…

…and a few dates later, more than just kissing. On their third real date she got her proof just how well things worked for Felix. She wasn't the innocent little creature her world-saving friend was, though she knew taking things even further would require some degree of experimentation. That was fine. Her grades in Chemistry and Physics were proof that she was quite familiar with the scientific method. Maybe when the time was right they'd figure it out. That wouldn't be this evening, after all, they were both just at the beginning of their first really serious relationships. Still, half an hour later Felix was a very happy young man.

Not long after that, Monique was a very happy as well.

She pulled him against her, half hugging, half cuddling him, letting him lightly doze for a while.

Odd thoughts flitted through her head, thoughts about Kim. Despite what she told Felix she really was worried about Kim. She might have been strong when it came to helping other people, but when it came to herself she was prone to becoming an emotional basket-case. Outside of missions she was a creature of routine and part of that routine ever since Monique had moved here two years ago had been Ron. When anything broke up that routine she almost panicked. Somehow the girl needed to find some balance.

For the time being, however, it was up to her and Kim's family to keep her busy, basically keeping her mind off her absent boyfriend but that couldn't go on. It was a whole month and some of that time she would have to be alone.

Tuesdays would likely be bad for her. It was no secret the two of them would hole up together in his house while his parents were away for most of the day. What went on there she could only imagine, since Kim did keep some secrets from her. She only knew one specific thing hadn't happened yet but there was a whole host of things that could be done. She had just proven that herself. Well, she had gone sixteen years without, she could go a month.

_Or could she?_ Monique thought as she started kissing Felix's neck.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	25. Part XXV

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXV**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Monique asked for what was likely the fifth time that morning.

"Yes, Mon. I'm perfectly fine. He's been gone a week now and I'm not about to run home crying every time I think about him. I just had to get into a new routine without Ron around." She pulled off her helmet after putting the kickstand of Ron's motorcycle down. The engine shut off without a sputter. The bike may have been old and needed a paint job and some re-chroming but the engine was in perfect shape. The mechanic that looked after it for him like to refer to it as 'just getting broken in good' which was mechanic-eze for 'it's going to croak for good inside a year.' Considering the use the two of the put it to, it could catch fire at the very moment like his old blue scooter had last spring and it wouldn't owe them a thing.

Monique was off the bike so fast she almost knocked Kim down. The latter growled slightly when her friend dropped to her knees and kissed the sidewalk.

"Oh, very funny. My driving isn't that bad." She put her hands on her hips and tapped her finger as the other girl got up, still visibly shaking.

Monique just shook her head. "Bad? Girl, you're an expert…if that was actually a dragster bike. Let me tell you, it's a real good thing there isn't a cop in this town who would stop you to give you a ticket. If that ever happened your 'rents would have to spend your college fund just paying for insurance."

"So, I like to go fast. The bike's made to." She rolled her eyes thinking about the fact her parents always insisted she take the mini-van when she needed a vehicle besides Ron's bike. Its definition of fast was barely reaching the speed limit on the interstate.

"Kim, that thing is older than you and if I'm any judge of it, those tires look like they came from the factory with it. "What if we'd blown one?" Actually, she was no expert, but Ron kept saying the thing needed new tires and she was willing to take him at his word.

"It's no big, Monique. I ride Ron's bike all the time, never had one problem with it."

"I can see the headline now. Girl who defied the super-freaks of the world, killed in traffic accident. Takes her GBF with her."

"They're not going to put that and you know it. Besides, at the rate things are going, I'm going to be retired by the time I get ready for college. So it's going to be something mundane like an accident or dying in a nursing home three quarters of a century after everyone's forgotten about Kim Possible."

Monique slowed down and looked at her friend. "They are not going to forget about you. How many girls did you see dressed like you on Halloween."

"So not the drama. They just do that because it's a heck of a lot simpler to put on a black turtleneck and some cargos and pretend they're me."

She shook her head at Kim again. "No, they do it because they look up to you. I counted five last year and I lost track at ten this year and it's been what, five years since you started all this."

"Well, it's only been about two and a half since the really big stuff started coming my way. Before that it was only minor things that didn't get any attention. Kind of like what it's all boiled down to now."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. You already mentioned college. How are you going to find the time to do all this saving the world stuff and pull off that kind of work load. It's going to make high school seem like kindergarten."

"Monique, I'm bored. I'm in all the most advanced classes possible, I'm still running the cheer squad, I'm on two dance committees, chairing one of them, I'm in the environment club and they've got me helping clean up Middleton Park again, but I don't feel a challenge any more. If it's still the same when I start school next fall It's just going to get worse."

"You're just missing Ron." One look at Kim and Monique knew she had hit paydirt.

"No. Well, yes, it's breaking my heart I miss him so much but that's not it. I was bored before he left. Oh, not with the things we do together, but, well, yeah the main thing we do together seems to be slipping away and I don't know why. Just yesterday I find out that Dementor stole the plans for a multi-dimensional power siphon but before I can even get Wade to line up a ride, GJ has him in custody."

"It wasn't…"

"It was. Will Freakin' I-don't-like-working-with-amateurs Du. They didn't even call me and this time they can't say it's because they couldn't reach me while I'm at school, no, it was a Sunday and they didn't even bother to call me. I'm beginning think the whole Diablo fiasco was my swan-song."

"It will get better. Besides, I don't think the real baddies are up to much since they keep parading your old friend in front of the cameras on the Court Room Channel."

"I don't even watch that any more. They're dragging their feet so bad on him this time I don't think he'll ever come to trial again. It's almost like they're dangling him out there waiting for Shego to surface and break him out."

"Well, you always say she's the really dangerous one. Maybe they know it too."

"Shego's only dangerous when she's given something to do. Drakken may come off as the world's biggest idiot sometimes, but he really is the spark that kept that team going. Shego doesn't have a self-motivated bone in her body. I bet she's sitting on a beach somewhere reading fashion magazines, eating sweets and filing her nails."

"Shego, on a beach with that pale green skin. I wonder what she looks like with a tan."

Kim had to stifle a laugh. "I bet she gets darker green. I used to wonder if she was green all over or if it was just some kind of villain thing to be a freaky color until I met her brothers. One of the, Mego, has purple hair and violet skin."

"Ew. I don't know what's worse, mint green or violet. At least as far as skin is concerned." Monique curled up her nose.

"Then when I fought her a the Bermuda Triangle club she was wearing a different outfit. Still green and black, but it was a really sexy bias cut skirt and a crop top."

"Whoa, Sheila Go goes all KimStyle on us." Monique laughed.

"What did you call her?" Kim leaned against her locker. They still had a good twenty minutes before they had to be in their first class of the day.

"Oh, nothing. I just figure her name can't be Shego, but I thought since she's from Go City and used to be part of Team Go that maybe her villain/hero name is a shortened form of her real name. Sheila makes sense."

"Huh. I never thought of it like that until Wade figured out her real name a few months ago doing a web search. You're right, her name is shortened, but it's short for Sherry Godfrey."

A smug grin spread across her face. "Well, then I was on the right track. Maybe I'm cut out for this hero thing, just more of a brains thing like Wade. Hey, here's a thought. Why don't I dig up some of my old 'KimStyle' duds and we head off looking for her over the weekend. I could even bring Felix along so I wouldn't mind dropping my pants."

"Hmm. You could do what Ron used to do, as far as being a distraction, though I don't think you want me around when you drop your pants for him and BTW…TMI."

"I'm just funnin' ya. I would majorly freak the moment I laid eyes on anyone like Drakken. He'd probably just pop up and say boo and I'd be headin' for the hills. As far as the BTW, I haven't exactly dropped trou for Felix yet, though the boy does have a lot going for him with manual dexterity."

"Mon! TMI factor just went up by about three."

"Uh huh, Miss 'Going-with-Mr.-Big-Hands.' So, you let him get to second base yet?"

"That depends on what your definition is."

"Well, what is yours first? And…BTW, that sounds to me like some roamin' hands are involved."

"Upstairs, skin-on-skin, which he hasn't done yet, though I have let him…hold me."

"Uh huh. That's the one I know. So, when?"

"Not yet."

"Girl, what are you waiting for? At this rate you're going to be back in diapers before you get your freak on with that boy and when that happens, he's going to explode."

"Mon, he's not going to explode. We've…figured out something we do on special occasions."

"Not that?"

Kim looked at her sidewise. "No, not that." She leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Whoa! Doesn't that chafe?"

"Nope, or at least he wasn't complaining."

"I wasn't talking about him."

"Can we please change the subject. Keep this up and I'm going to be cashing in my college fund for a plane ticket to Japan."

"Speaking of Japan, have you pried anything out of Miss Bon-Bon yet." Monique asked.

"Not a peep. She knows something, but she's not talking. She should have been pulling her hair out and complaining to anyone who would listen. Instead she's clammed up like she knows some real big secret."

"Like perhaps she knows something about whatever goes on there that a student can show up and drag Ron halfway around the western hemisphere at the drop of the hat? That doesn't sound like any run-of-the-mill provincial Japanese school."

"I don't know, but I was right about her."

"Kim, if she had been after Ron all she would have had to do was lay a big smooch on him and say let's go out and he would have been good to go…uh, that was then, now it's different."

"I sure hope so. Ron likes attention but since we've been together he's seemed happy enough that the other girls are actually speaking to him, but he hasn't even flirted with anyone outside of Hope and Tara, and that's just how those three carry on now."

"Yeah, but have any of them put any real moves on him?"

"I think you'd be the one to know about something like that Monique. If somebody made a pass at Ron and I wasn't there to see it, you'd know before I could, and that's even if Ron ran as fast as he could to tell me."

"Kim, the grapevine is good, but it isn't that good. So far all I've heard is some tittering about how huggy Tara is with him."

She growled slightly. The petite blonde cheerleader had never gone past casually dating Jason Morgan and had already demonstrated a propensity for cozying up to the same types of guys she liked, including Josh Mankey and, at least a couple school years ago, Ron. "I am so going to have a little sit-down with her, real soon, most def."

"Nah, Tara's harmless. Besides, all you'd have to do is look at her like you were going to kick her biscuit and she'd be halfway to Denver before you said boo. Anyway, I don't think you have to worry too much about Ron. Even that time he accidentally saw me naked the only thing he looked at were my eyes. He just stood there like a statue, never even taking the opportunity to look me up and down. Now, if I hadn't grabbed a towel when I did, that might have changed, but that boy only has eyes for you."

"Oh, I sure hope so. It's only…he can get so big-heady sometimes and if little-miss-You're-the-warrior-hero keeps it up with him, I wonder what his resolve is going to be like."

"Kim, don't let it get to you too much. In two weeks Bonnie's going to be there and I can guarantee you that if there's anything going on you should know about, she's going to tell you just to try to rip the two of you apart but even with that, Ron's a good guy. He's the best, most loyal, sweetest guy on the planet and he loves you and worships the ground you walk on. Trust him."

Trust. Ron valued trust and at the same time wanted people to trust him. Of course he wasn't perfect, but that was because sometimes he was misguided. Like the time Monique had kissed him (she had that out with Monique right after Ron's plane left for Japan.) He thought he was doing right by honoring that promise. Trustworthiness wasn't an issue for him.

Though she would really like a chance to go toe-to-toe with that Yori girl.

"'Kay, Kim, I've got to get to class. You sure you don't want to hang with Felix and me tonight?"

"No, Mon. You wouldn't want me around any more than I want anyone else around when I'm supposed to be alone with Ron. You two have a good time doing whatever the two of you do…with your 'manual dexterity.'"

"Girl, you are wrong. Be good."

"Always."

She opened her locker and fired up the computer. The screen warmed up just as it finished descending from its cubby.

"Hi Kim."

"Hey, Wade. Tell me that somebody, somewhere needs me. I'd even take some babysitting."

"Nothing that wouldn't interfere with your class schedule, though you might find this interesting."

"What?" She gave him a look that said she didn't have time for guessing games.

"Señor Senior Senior just bought a mansion near Mexico City."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"No, except it's just stone's throw from a major Global Justice facility there."

"Wade, he could build a place right on top of them and it wouldn't do him any good. Just keep me posted." She pursed her lips. "Have you tried out the new tracking chip yet?"

"Yep, you're standing right in front of your locker, plain as day."

"That's not what I meant."

"Kim, Ron and I talked about this. Yamanuchi is supposed to be secret and even though I have a rough idea where it is, I'm still going to honor that unless there's some kind of emergency. Besides, all that would tell you is that he's there at the school."

"You can also pull up his vitals."

"So? If he's there to take some training, then all I'm going to see are elevated blood pressures, high concentrations of lactic acid, that sort of thing. Wouldn't tell us anything useful."

"I know. I just wish I knew how he was doing and all."

"We all miss him, but he's going to come back a better guy, so it'll be worth it."

"Yeah. Look, I've got to go to class. Catch you at lunch time."

"Sure. You know where you can find me."

"Bye Wade…and you still rock."

She shut the door and headed for class. It really would have been nice to go out with Felix and Monique, but the two of them were just beginning to explore the physical side of their relationship and just like she said, it wouldn't be fair for them to have her tagging along all the time.

There was a tap on her shoulder right outside of her first class.

There was no mistaking the blonde hair and gleaming teeth.

"Hey, Cary. What's up?"

"Not a lot. Been busy working. Mom caught some of the employees stealing so I've been pulling a double shift. Glad it's been quiet at the mall lately so I've had time to do my homework between customers."

"Ouch. She got anyone lined up to replace them?"

"Yeah, but I'll be training them the next few nights. Say, a bunch of us were going to go hang at the mall Friday night, and maybe go to Bundy's" Bundy's was one of the dance clubs Ron liked to take her to. In fact, they had gone there the Saturday night before he left, though they didn't stay long. She wanted every minute she could manage alone with him before he left and was glad he borrowed his mother's car instead of taking the bike.

"Uh, I don't know, Cary. I really felt out of place when I was out with Felix, Monique, Tara and Jason last week. Besides, it'd feel kind of funny with Ron gone."

"Oh, it's nothing like that. There aren't any couples, so it's just a bunch of friends hanging out. Hey, with Ron away maybe that'd be a good thing for you. Take your mind off of him for a bit."

"Cary, I don't particularly want my mind off of him, but it's sweet of you to ask. I'll think about it, Okay. Like you said, it's Friday, a lot could happen between now and then. Who knows, I might even get the call and I won't even be on this side of the globe."

He just smiled at her. "I understand. The invitation is open if you want to. Better get inside, we've got like thirty seconds."

She got in her seat, smiling to herself. It always seemed like outside of Ron and Monique, and now Felix the only people she ever hung out with were the other cheerleaders. It would be good to widen her circle of friends and Cary seemed like a good enough place to start.

Tentatively she started plans to make herself available Friday night. She had danced with Ron as a friend many times, maybe it would be fun to go dancing with other friends for a change.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	26. Part XXVI

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXVI**

* * *

"They…said…I…was…nothing…but…a…normal…teenager…they…lied." Ron wheezed as he crested the ridge at a dead run. He had already passed the bulk or the students on the Dragon Course that morning and only two remained ahead. Gulping the thin mountain air he pushed on, once more testing the limits of his endurance.

If Sensei wasn't training him to be a ninja, he certainly couldn't tell the difference. For eight straight days he had been up and ready, dressed in a white training gi identical to every other student there and sent running on a course that would give a collegiate cross-country team pause, all while wearing tabi socks and sandals instead of running shoes.

While also making as little noise as possible.

His body twisted and turned as he made his way past obstacles, only this clothing lightly brushing them as he passed as silent as a whisper. Brown eyes narrowed as he spotted one of the students remaining ahead of him. He was already closing the gap. He could feel every fiber of muscle in his body protest as he poured even more speed on, trying to catch up.

Even though he was rapidly becoming accustomed to the thin air at this elevation, he knew he was getting dangerously close to the limit of his abilities. There was only so much a body could do, so much power and speed muscles could produce and only for a certain amount of time before the buildup of lactic acid and the lack of energy would bring him to a halt.

Knowing who it was ahead of him drove him to find that limit. For perhaps the first time in his life he wanted to know exactly what he could do. He wanted to know what God had given him to work with. He had seen what a normal human being without any kind of artificial enhancement could do and he wanted to know if that was possible for him.

He had seen a hundred and five pound cheerleader leap twenty feet into the air while doing gold metal level gymnastics!

Running like this made him feel like the hero in that space opera, the one sent to the jungle planet to train as the galaxy's ultimate warrior.

At night, as the other students were in weapons training Sensei would take Ron aside. The very first session he led him to a large, empty room, sat down on the floor and said nothing. Ron stood there for a while, waiting patiently for the master to say something, to give him the instructions on what he must do. Nothing happened. He sat there on the tatami floor like a living statue, his breathing so smooth and regular he seemed not to move.

First Ron thought it was a test of his patience, so he politely stood there for a while, his mind wandering all over the place, questions forming in his mind he knew would be out of place at the moment, like why he had not seen Yori at the school yet, or why Bonnie Rockwaller had been selected to come there in the final week.

Bonnie still perplexed him and that was compounded by the fact he somehow never managed to ask the question of Sensei. He would think long and hard about it while he was alone, or in moments like that one, but when he had the chance to actually ask questions of the old master it was like the question was swept away from his mind by the gentle breezes of the mountaintop school. He began to reflect that it might not be important after all.

Maybe half an hour passed, maybe more. He wasn't quite sure since he had left his watch in his backpack. The school operated on it's own schedule, it's own rhythm that had nothing to do with the man-made marking of time.

If this was a test of patience he could feel he was about to fail.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak he realized just how peaceful Sensei looked. It wasn't a trance, or at least it wasn't the way he was used to seeing him enter such a state. He was simply staring straight ahead, his small eyes still open. Something else was going on.

As carefully as he could, Ron sat down on the floor in front of him. Still there was no response so he continued to wait, all the way to the point where his legs started to complain about being in such a position. Not wanting to upset Sensei he tried to find some relief without getting up or squirming around. A slight sheen of sweat started breaking out on his forehead, then the rest of his body even though the temperature was somewhere just above freezing in the unheated chamber.

He started concentrating on the pain itself, relaxing what muscles he could without falling out of his position. Slowly the pain started subsiding, though it did not disappear completely. Once he reached a point where he could live with it, he started noticing other things.

It was cold, cold like sitting in a large freezer, cold that could literally be dangerous if he did nothing to conserve his own heat. His sweat did not help, with the cool breeze reaching in though the large, uncovered window looking out on the valley below. The temperature was almost like pain.

It was pain.

Pain, he learned before, was just an illusion created by his mind. Sure, pain was the body telling you that something was wrong and must be corrected, but sometimes such sensations must be endured when it could not be cured. Trusting that Sensei would not let him freeze to death sitting in the chamber, he embraced the pain and examined it. It was not so bad that it made him desperate to get up and stamp his feet or seek out one of the braziers set about the school to warm the rooms. Instead of fleeing it, he embraced it, concentrating on it and reflecting on what it was and what it did.

His shivering stopped.

Setting aside the pain he went into the exercises the instructors had taught him about meditation. It was far harder to do with his eyes open, but he forced his mind to relax. Images floated by at random, trying to capture his attention. He let them all go, trying to force his mind's eye to see nothing. The image that helped him the most was pretending all he could see was a television screen filled with snow, the sound turned off, concentrating on the visual white noise. Finally, as that vision filled his mind he 'turned the TV off.' Leaving his mind clear.

He stared ahead, the window open before him. Even in the faint starlight he could start making out details of the valley. Tiny points of light, each one an isolated home or perhaps a tiny village became visible to him, every so often obscured by the mists or perhaps some snow blowing down from the higher elevations.

It was incredibly beautiful.

"Stoppable-san. We are done for this evening. It is now time for you to rest." Sensei said, rising without another word and departing.

"Yes, Sensei-sama." Ron said quietly, still sitting there, looking at the valley. He had no sense of how long he sat there then but he finally rose and headed for the baths. Later, waiting in his room was a tray of food left there by Nooni. Strangely enough, it was a hamburger that tasted precisely like one from Burger Prince. It was piping hot and fresh so it was obvious it had been prepared there. The closest place to actually buy such food was hundreds of miles away anyhow and would very likely be prepared differently than he was used to.

He dreamed that night he was curled up with Kim at home, snugly cuddled on her couch.

The exercises he had been put through to deal with pain were starting to reach their limits as he ran. He was pouring so much speed on he knew he would soon 'hit-the-wall' but he wanted to pass the next runner. The desire to find just what he had in him was burning him up, driving him onward. The burning in his legs and his chest was becoming unbearable. He has seen videos of tri-athletes stumbling toward the finish line, not even having enough left to reach the ribbon and knew precisely what they were feeling at that point. Parts of his body, even parts of his mind were starting to shut down.

He would not stop. He didn't care if they had to carry him back to the school he was not going to stop. The next runner was so close he could reach out and touch her. All he needed was just a little more but the pain was becoming almost blinding.

The gates of the school could be seen in the distance. He could see the first runner there, standing like he had just had a casual stroll across the campus. It was now or never, if he was going to catch the next runner he had to make his move…

..but there was nothing left. He pushed and pushed and he could not make his body run any faster. Out here on the open ground he could run without worrying about stealth, though his opponent had the same advantage now.

The pain was just so bad!

His body was starting to freeze up. He started dropping further and further behind. He needed more and he just didn't have it. The bitter taste of failure pushed the pain aside in his mind.

It was just like pain.

Pain that cannot be avoided must be endured. When it must be endured, it can be set aside.

The pain left him as a strange blue mist seemed to settle over the entire world. He wondered if his whole mind was starting to shut down though suddenly he was making up ground as they closed on the gates. He passed his opponent taking great strides, crossing the threshold maybe a dozen feet in front of her.

The next thing he remembered was Yori helping him get up from the ground. The sun was now fully over the horizon, the morning light starting to chase away the cold that clung to his sweat soaked body.

Then his eyes met hers.

He had never seen so much open admiration in anyone's face before.

"What happened?" He said, feeling oddly good after pushing himself past the breaking point.

She didn't get a chance to answer. "Stoppable-san, you must come with me." Sensei said. He hadn't even been aware the old master was anywhere near them.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the other students Sensei spoke. "You have done something I had not expected so soon. You have discovered on your own what I hoped to teach you over the coming weeks. Your training in the use of Tai Xing Pek Kwar has turned a new corner."

"I don't understand, Sensei."

"You have found that, at the limit of what your body can do, there is a way for the soul to find new sources of power when it is necessary to go on. For you, that source is your Mystical Monkey Power. For the first time, you have consciously willed it to serve you."

"Is that how I beat Yori back? Wow…and I think I should feel really tired, but I feel like I just got up from a good night's sleep."

"Indeed. You collapsed the moment you stopped, your body still spent and left without the support of the power that sustained you the last steps of the run. We allowed you to rest until you recovered naturally, which I am pleased to say happened far more quickly than we expected. You rested for most of an hour, Stoppable-san."

"That long? Shouldn't I feel sore?"

"Oh, I think things will be quite difficult for you the next morning, though once you fully master your power, I think you may even beat Hirotaka."

Ron frowned just slightly. "Yeah, but he doesn't have any monkey power. He's just a normal guy. Isn't it cheating if I use my power to win?"

"Stoppable-san. You are about to fight for your life against an opponent who is a master of his chosen weapon. If you fight him fairly, you will die, yet you are armed with a weapon he cannot counter. Is it then cheating that you use that weapon and survive?"

"Uh, I guess not, though it just doesn't sound right."

"The power you have you did not ask for, yet it is a gift which you may use, which one day you must use."

Ron shook his head. "I did sort of choose it. I didn't have to go to the statues and tell 'em to 'hit me.'"

"Did you? If you had not, what would Monkey Fist have done?" He glanced at his student with a raised eyebrow.

"I think he would have killed me." He said, realizing where he was going.

"Then from your point of view, you had no choice. Some say it was your fate to become what you have become today. Though it seemed like you had a choice, would your death have served any purpose that day if only to say you had not wanted to take part in the power?"

"No. I guess then the only person in the world with it would be Monkey Fist."

"Precisely."

They walked a few minutes more before Ron spoke again. "Sensei. You said there might be a way I can pass my monkey power on, to share it. You don't mean like when Kim and I…"

"No, Stoppable-san. That might be an interesting fantasy, but it takes a much deeper connection than just the act of physical love to pass it on. As I said before, we do not yet know the way this might be accomplished. You will have to be patient, though I think it is you who the power truly sought out."

"Huh? You mean it wasn't by accident that Kim was called to help him find the final statue?"

"No more so than it was an accident that you had to confront him alone."

"How could that happen. I thought it was because Wade was just a little to eager to try out one of his new gadgets. Do you mean he was conspiring with somebody the whole time."

"No, Stoppable-san. That is not how fate works. You have no need to distrust your friend. Possible-san simply had obligations to her family and your other friend was a child with a new toy, no more. Yet in the greater scheme of things, you were still brought to the point where you accepted your destiny."

"Wow. All this destiny and fate stuff is making my head hurt."

"Do not feel badly. These are questions that I have pondered most of my lifetime. You are just now at a point where you can learn to accept such things. Understanding may come much later. Now, I would suggest this would be a good time for your meditation exercises. Concentrate on what has happened today. I will send for you when it is time for your mid-day meal."

Ron started to walk back to the dormitories.

"Oh, perhaps I should pass one bit of wisdom for you today." Sensei said.

"What's that?"

"It would certainly be wise to go take a bath first. You smell like a rutting yak."

* * *

The thought of a bath was extremely pleasing to him, especially this early in the day when the bath house would be empty. It may have been perfectly normal for the native Japanese to use a communal bath facility, but that was just a little too far beyond a high-school locker room for him. All the fantasies of sharing the large, extremely hot tub of water with Kim were dashed away when he was joined by half a dozen male students. After all, the men outnumbered the women here by more than ten to one.

He quickly stripped down to his boxers. Sensei was right, he was beyond ripe and the Japanese respected cleanliness. He tossed the gi into a bin to be laundered and went into the scrubbing room. He chuckled a little as he took his boxers off. They really weren't supposed to wear them with the outfits, but he knew better, at least as far as he was concerned. It was embarrassing enough the time he was trying to demonstrate his skills with a bo-staff and managed to rip almost all his clothing off.

He doused himself with the lukewarm water and lathered up. He couldn't help but think about Kim and wondered what she was doing. He missed her so much his heart ached, but he knew it was a good ache. He was finally understanding what the old saying about absence making the heart grow fonder meant. He likened it to winding up a spring, release coming when they were reunited. As he poured another bucket of water over his head to rinse off the soap he thought for the thousandth time it might have been a good thing to take Kim up on her offer before he left.

No. That wouldn't have been right, for the same reasons they had already decided to wait at least until they were eighteen. They weren't yet adults and each of them had at least one parent who didn't want them taking that step quite yet.

The separation from Kim was also had another thought starting to form in his head. To him, there was no doubt they would be together the rest of their lives and Kim had all but commanded him to propose to her when they were old enough. If waiting these few short weeks to be reunited with her promised so much, how wonderful would it be to wait until their wedding night. Images of her in a beautiful white wedding dress flitted though his head, making him smile all the more as he lathered up for a second scrub. How many people in this day and age went to their wedding night as virgins? Sure, lots of folks didn't hold to the old meaning of a white wedding dress but there was a bit of an old-fashioned streak in him.

He was also thinking about the image of that spring winding up. If they could wait that long, just how wonderful would it be when all that pent up energy was released?

Grinning from ear to ear he doused himself once more and headed for the tub, planning a nice, long soak. Meditation could wait, or perhaps he could meditate there while the growing stiffness in his muscles was eased by the hot water.

He stepped through the screen and looked at the tub. Sitting there in water up to her neck was Yori. Her head was tilted back and her eyes were closed.

He was about to turn away and finish rinsing himself off with bucket water when she opened her eyes and looked at him…all of him.

There was that same look of admiration on her face she had earlier after the run.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	27. Part XXVII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXVII**

* * *

Kim checked herself in her mirror one more time. She was wearing blue jeans and a fleece sweater over her teal long sleeve top. Instead of lipstick she was wearing plain lip gloss. She wanted to look perfect for this strange new kind of night out.

Perfect, as in absolutely nothing special.

It was just a group of friends going to the mall and then possibly a club, nothing more yet every time she thought about it she felt guilty, like she was doing something that should have been reserved only for Ron. She picked up the prom photo from her nightstand and touched Ron's face, wishing that he was just rolling up on his motorcycle or in his mother's old car. She knew that wouldn't be happening. The bike was downstairs in the garage.

"I wish Rufus was staying with me instead of Wade." She said to herself. Even though she couldn't understand him the same way Ron could he was still somebody to talk to and she wanted to talk. She even regretted convincing Monique and Felix to spend the evening by themselves. Their relationship was on the fast track and she knew from personal experience that it was time for them to be alone. 'Private time' was very important to couples like that.

"I am not that pathetic." She protested when she spoke to her girl-best-friend that afternoon as she dropped her off at home.

"Uh huh. So who was it who called me begging for something to do the last time Ron bailed on 'Ron night?'"

"It's different this time, Mon. Cary and a bunch of his friends are hanging out tonight and they invited me to join them."

"I do not like that boy." She muttered.

"You're not going to start on that black and white thing again?" Kim asked.

"No. He's cleaned up his act that way, so I think the party thing was just a fluke, but I just get a weird vibe every time he's around. Even his name gives me the willies."

"His name? What's wrong with Cary?" Kim cocked her head, a move accentuated by the full-face helmet she was wearing.

"Cary _On_? What kind of name is that?" Monique pulled off her helmet and handed it back to her friend.

"It's his mother's maiden name. She had it legally changed when she got divorced from his father. He used to go by 'Arrington.'"

"Cary Arrington? Still sounds funny, but at least it's got a sort of preppy ring to it. Any idea what his Dad's like?"

Kim shook her head. "Not a clue. You aren't thinking he's a party boy, like he 'carries on?'"

"No, though that did occur to me after that one party he threw. No, say his name out loud, what does it sound like?"

"Cary On. I don't get it. It sounds just like the joke everyone makes about it."

"Uh uh. Cary On. Carrion. Like dead meat."

Kim made a face, scrunching up her nose. "Ew, Monique. That's disgusting. He's not a dead animal on the side of the road."

"Just calling them as I see them, or in this case as I hear them. Maybe that's why he always introduces himself with his middle name."

She thought about that a moment. "Nah, it's his father's first name. I think he really cares about his Dad, even though he lives with his Mom."

"There's a whole lot of weird there, but I guess that's just me. If you think he's okay, then I guess he has to be."

"Hey, I'll call you tonight if you're home early." She said as she started the bike back up.

"Don't bet on it, girl. Mister Romantic has promised me a special evening tonight." Monique grinned slyly.

"You go, girl." Kim said as she gunned the motor and headed for home.

All of her bluster melted away as she sat alone in him bedroom. It all just seemed so wrong to her. She put that off to nerves and a shy streak she simply would not admit to anyone. That was one of the main reasons she had such a small, tight-knit circle of friends.

Then to there was her family. Very few were fortunate enough to have such tight knit familial ties like she did. Even her brothers, who were unique pests in their own right, were quite close to her. When she complained about her feelings to her mother, all she had was support.

"If they're friends then it should be alright, Kimmie. I think it's a good thing you got invited. It'll do you a world of good to expand your horizons a little bit."

"But what about Ron?" She pouted.

"I think he'd understand. In fact I think he'd be for this too. I've spoken to Cary's mother on a couple occasions. He's a nice kid even though his father turned out to be such a bad egg."

Kim glanced at her, slightly confused. "Bad egg? What makes you say that."

"Oh, she said he's been in prison some. He's out right now but she told me he's been nothing but trouble. She was so happy when she had the opportunity to come out here and open more of her stores." She sat on Kim's desk chain, watching her daughter fret over her clothing.

"Prison. Huh. Cary never mentioned that before."

Anne shook her head. "He's probably embarrassed about it. His father's named Allen Vernon Arr, um Arlington or something like that. Used to be some kind of scientist before he got in trouble with the law."

"Arrington. Monique said Cary Arrington sounds too preppy."

"Well, I'm sure his mother had a good reason to change his name to On." She looked at Kim's desk. The computer was using pictures from her 'my pictures' file as screen savers. Most of the pictures were now of Ron, whose image dominated her hard drive nowadays. Every so often a prison picture of her foes would pop by, though they seemed fewer and fewer as more and more photos of her boyfriend were loaded into the system. A string of arrest photos slowly scrolled by. Most of them she recognized, though a few she didn't. Drew Lipsky she knew, of course, having met him a couple times before he dropped out of college. Then there was Monkey fist, then Drew's cousin, Eddie Lipsky. A couple went by she didn't know, like a weak-chinned guy with a fake beard and mustache, a short, stocky guy who still managed to look weasely and another guy who seemed to be dressed like a bird. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the same time. They were such an odd lot, but she was used to that.

"So what is this bunch supposed to be doing tonight?"

"Mostly hanging out at the mall. Cary talked about going to Bundy's, but I think I'll bail if they go there. Seems too much like a date place to me anyway."

"Oh, I think you should go. Have a good time. It's not like you were just going with this Cary boy. It's really a very normal thing for kids your age to do. It's a far sight better than you sitting here on the couch alone eating fudge ripple ice cream until you can't move, pining away over Ron. You keep that up you'll have to wear those baggy pants all the time."

Kim giggled slightly. Twice her mother had marched into the den and taken the quart container away from her. She didn't even realize she was doing it. Must be more of Ron rubbing off on her, just sitting in front of the television, watching it until her eyes developed big black circles.

"You're right. I do need to make more friends. Ron's great but he's only one person and I can be around other folks. I'll just save all the real boyfriend things for Ron."

"That's the spirit, Kimmie."

"I just hope they don't want to slow dance, cause that's something I won't do with anyone else."

"What about your Dad. I can think of a time you would like to dance with him." Anne smiled at her daughter.

Kim was exasperated. "Mother! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's not like we're going to head for the church the moment we turn eighteen."

"Glad to hear it. Well, at least your father would be. He adores Ron but I think he's got this notion you're not going to get married until you're thirty."

She shook her head at her mother. "Okay, that's just ridiculous, like I'm going to wait that long to marry Ron."

Anne looked up and raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "So you are thinking ahead to a wedding?"

"Well, not specifically, but I do see it in our future. Maybe after college some time."

Her mother nodded. "I can live with that. Would you like some dinner or are you going to get something at the mall?"

"I think I'll take my chances with the mall food." She said finally.

Anne nodded and headed back down the stairs, leaving her daughter alone with her thoughts.

It was getting close to seven. She was expecting the car to pull up any time. That really wasn't necessary, since Middleton Mall was in easy walking distance, at least for her, but Cary did live halfway across town.

Just as she expected, a dark colored car pulled into the driveway. It was a brand new Dodge Charger and from the sound of things, it probably had one of the big Hemi engines in it. She remembered seeing it in the driveway at his house but she had no idea whether it was Cary's car or his mothers. She hadn't noticed it in the lot at school, so she suspected it was the latter's.

Hazarding one last look in the mirror she noticed her jewelry. She had her emerald earrings and her gold heart shaped locket on. Ron had given them to her for her birthday and it dawned on her that she always wore them on their dates, whether the green stones went with her outfit or not. She had a sudden feeling that wearing them tonight might send the wrong signal. The locket was made to hold Ron's class ring when he finally got it, but that was still a couple months off. They usually arrived just in time for Christmas. Without it, it was simply a tiny little gold heart shape. Inside were the traditional pictures of both of them, facing each other when it was closed.

Making a decision, she took the earrings off and carefully put them in their box. The locket she kept on, putting it inside her top, feeling that by doing so she was keeping Ron close to her heart. With one last wave of seemingly unwarranted guilt she headed down the stairs.

Kim's father was looking out the curtains. "It sure is a good thing this guy isn't here to pick you up for a date." He nodded at the waiting car outside. "When I was in high school, we sure didn't wait in the car for a young lady."

"Dad, it's not a date. It's just a bunch of friends going to the mall. They're worried I'm going to be sitting home all lonely on my usual date night."

He nodded, looking a little sad. "Okay. Don't be out too late, though I suppose there's no reason to be since it's…'not a date.'"

She kissed her father's cheek. "No, not a date, and that's the only kiss I'm giving anybody tonight."

Feeling a little better, she walked out to the car.

Upstairs her computer cycled through more pictures. The strange, bird-like man scrolled by once more. It was a shame she wasn't there to look closely at the name on his arrest photo.

"A.V. Arrington."

* * *

Cary got out of his car and held the door for Kim. She slipped inside, noting the leather seats. The stereo was playing a ripping dance track, probably from one of the mix CDs he was playing at the party.

"Hey, where's everyone else?" She asked, noting the otherwise empty car.

"Oh, Brittany called and said she couldn't make it and Roger's going to meet us at the mall."

"Huh? I thought you said this wasn't a couples thing." Kim said, a little concern crossing her mind.

"It's not. You're the only one in the whole bunch with a steady boyfriend."

"Okay. Is this Roger the only other one we're meeting." She asked as they slowly pulled away from her neighborhood.

"He's the only one I know for sure. He called me right before I left my house. There're a couple more who might show up. I don't know." He said easily.

"Well. Alright. But if nobody shows up, I want to go back home. I don't want to chance giving anyone the wrong impression."

He smiled at her, flashing his blindingly white smile. "How in the world could I give anyone the wrong impression."

Kim had the strangest feeling as she looked at him.

Somehow those eyes didn't seem as friendly as they did when she was at school.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	28. Part XXVIII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXVIII **

* * *

Ron was finding himself in a position he did not expect to be in. He came to Japan figuring he would spend almost the entire time in intensive training, with the odd side adventure thrown in as things went for him.

Instead he was in much the same boat he had been when the school year started and Zita reappeared. He came in completely mis-reading the Yori situation, figuring since these people seemed to know so much about him it would be common knowledge he was in a committed relationship with Kim. At least Zita had apparently gotten the message and had backed off, if she ever even wanted to restart her relationship before she learned about Kim. She saw the relationship as unassailable.

It was now starting to dawn on him that perhaps certain types of people would see his being in that kind of situation as a challenge.

He just didn't know how to deal with that sort of thing. In the past every single girl who liked him did so because they saw through his plain exterior and goofy, random behavior but by the same token none of them had ever pursued him. Even with Kim, it was his words that had finally sparked the relationship and he knew quite well that if he didn't have the courage to speak them when he did they may never have taken that road. In the end, though, the rest left him alone because he either was afraid to make the first move or just simply oblivious to their interest.

After that morning Ron was not sent to run the Dragon Course in the morning with the rest, even though he did want his crack at Hirotaka. Sensei had other things in mind. He started teaching him meditation through movement, seeking balance between body and soul while gathering the mystical energy that surrounds you. What that had to do with learning to harness his powers was beyond him. He simply had to put his trust in his teacher. It was all part of a whole, though it did bother him that it had now not been mentioned since he made his breakthrough on the run.

To him it was just like Kim teaching him Tai Chi. In fact, besides some of the more specialized fighting techniques, they weren't showing him much more than Kim had been teaching him, making him wonder what exactly was up with all this mumbo-jumbo about Ninjitsu. Was it all smoke and mirrors and being dressed completely in black? Of course there was Sensei's mysticism, but he didn't see him passing that on to any of his students, not even Yori or Hirotaka who were now more instructors than actual students.

He thought about asking Sensei about Yori, but decided in the end that such matters were beneath him, even though the situation was bothering him and threatened to undermine his center.

Things could have been worse. Their chance meeting at the bath house was embarrassing at the moment, at least for Ron. At least in hindsight it wasn't so bad. They had no shame about their bodies and there literally was nothing that could be inferred from them sharing the water. The tub was very large, almost fifteen feet across, so they could both enjoy soaking without even being close to one another.

Ron had to make a quick decision. He either had to flee and deal with the lingering residue of his filth and the soap left behind by the scrubbing or he would have to join her in the tub. Making things worse was the fact he had been thinking so much about Kim and fantasizing about sharing this sort of experience, coupled with the fact he was now alone in a fairly dark room with a young woman who was quite obviously naked under the water, his body did things his mind had no conscious control over. Not wanting to give her the wrong impression he slipped quickly into the water which was just barely below scalding level.

Fortunately for him it had much the same effect as a nice cold shower.

"Uh, yeah, Yori. Hi." He said, rubbing the back of his neck after dunking his head to rinse the last of the soap out of it.

She smiled brightly at him, not the least bothered by his proximity.

"I am so pleased with the progress you have shown, Stoppable-san. Your skills you have mastered after such a short time among us does us great honor."

"Yori, let's be honest. You've been here since you were a little girl and I, well, most of my 'career' I've been nothing more than the distraction."

"You are too modest, Stoppable-san. Even when it was your job to be the 'distraction' did it not serve its purpose for the greater good?" She said sweetly, closing her eyes and leaning her head back again.

"Yeah, that's what Kim said." He admitted.

Yori opened her eyes and looked straight at him. "Possible-san does not respect you properly. You are a warrior-hero. What's more, she is a hero simply because it is her nature. You are even more a hero because it is not your nature."

He was a little miffed at her not-quite-so-veiled insult directed at Kim. "Kim does too respect me. She respected me enough to bring me along when I had no business being there."

"Did she respect you when you went along with me to rescue Sensei?"

"That was different." He answered, a little too defensively.

"Different how? You chose to do something and she quickly followed because she believed you would not be able to handle it."

"Well." He said, glowering at her, slowly going from miffed to angry. "She was right. DNAmy's giant mon…apes…gorillas would have kicked our biscuits if she wasn't there. We found Monkey Fist's hideout without her help, and we would have been captured anyway whether she was there or not."

"I did not wish to offend, Stoppable-san. I am sorry." She bowed her head slightly toward him. "It is correct for me to insult the one you love."

"Got that right." He said, the vapors rising from the water weren't the only source of steam.

"Perhaps I should go. While this," She gestured at the bath with her hand, "means nothing, from your perspective you are sharing a room alone with a woman while we are unclothed. I should have realized how uncomfortable this makes you feel. I have soaked long enough, I should go."

"Yori, don't leave on my account. I'm the one uncomfortable, but that's just because I was thinking about doing this with Kim, that's all."

"No, I must go before I look, as you say, like a prune."

Ron quickly averted his eyes as she started to rise from the water. Even so, he caught a glimpse of her and had to admit she had an absolutely gorgeous body.

Part of him wondered what was so wrong with having a beautiful young woman with a gorgeous body interested in him.

The answer was easy enough. He had a beautiful young woman with a gorgeous body who he was in love with and was in love with him.

He kept going through the motions of the 'dance' (as he thought of it) Sensei was guiding him through. He was sure the master knew that his mind was not completely on his task, but he felt that if it became a problem, he would certainly correct him on it.

He had to do something about the problem, and do it quickly, not only to be fair to Yori and true to his love for Kim, but because in just over a week Bonnie Rockwaller would be here and boy wouldn't she love to go back home and tell Kim about his conquests in the land of Sumo Wrestling and Anime.

A katana was a single edged sword, but this situation was like the great blades of legend, with two cutting edges along their great, straight blades. On one hand there was Kim. He was, in his heart, perfectly faithful to her. He loved her with his whole heart, yet, she was quite capable of great fits of anger when something truly upset her. Like when she kicked Shego into that tower, something that would have killed a normal woman instantly. Hell Hath No Fury, and all that sort of stuff.

Then again, hell probably has nothing on a fully trained ninja woman scorned. He had to tread lightly and let her down easily, convincing her that it had nothing at all to do with her and everything to do with the way he felt about Kim.

He essentially had to do something that almost nobody had ever been able to do. He had to find a way to tell her 'let's just be friends' without it coming out like 'let's just be friends.'

He had some time on his side, about eight days. He also had the benefit of her being naturally shy, to the point she would never make the first move.

Or at least he hoped so. There had been moments in the tub before she had made him angry his male mind was filling with unwanted images of the nubile young ninja gliding across the water to merge her body with his, something that would be far, far worse than a stolen kiss from a friend who had no other intentions beyond that.

There was something to be said for the nice, private shower stall in his bathroom at home. There might have been certain fantasies surrounding that too, but that wouldn't be by accident and/or misunderstanding.

Sensei suddenly spun on his heel and slammed an open palm into Ron's midsection. The force of the blow sent him flying halfway across the room. Reflexes he didn't even know he had took over, allowing him to land in a roll, coming up on his feet in a fighting stance.

"Begin again." He said, resuming the stance he had been in.

Ron slowly moved back into this original position and tried to emulate the graceful moves he was being shown, forcing his mind to concentrate on just that, trying to see how his teacher's body moved in his thick flowing robe. For a moment he reflected that in a fight, his relatively tight turtleneck might give his opponent a clue as to what he was doing, at least lately since he was starting to fill it out.

Kim, on the other hand, always wore her cropped turtleneck tight, showing off the shape of her small but perfectly formed…

Another blow came seemingly out of nowhere. A couple gears clicked into place in his head. Sensei was indeed correcting him when his mind drifted elsewhere. He had never witnessed the teacher correcting a student this way, but he suspected he never had a student to teach this way before.

There was also the strange thought that the world's foremost expert on Tai Xing Pek Kwar might have utterly no idea what he was doing in trying to foster it in one of only three beings on the planet to possess the power. Really how could he? The secrets had been hidden away by the very people who developed it in ancient China, the power trapped within the four statues until Monkey Fist unearthed them.

Ron realized he wasn't so much being trained as he was a lab rat. Sensei wanted to learn what he was capable of while looking for that mysterious way to pass the power on to others. In his mind's eye a slight smile spread over his face. He was careful to keep his real face passive and serene.

He let his mind go back to Kim, thinking of her in that tiny bikini she wore last summer, the one that left her with a serious sunburn and interesting tan lines he was glad her father would never see. He merged that image with what he remembered from the time his mind inhabited her body. That was something he almost never let come to the surface, but he was wanting to be a little bad so he let it out. There was going to be a time when thinking of Kim wouldn't be bad, but very, very good.

Then for extra measure he added Yori into that vision, right along with Kim. By then he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

As if out of nowhere a third blow came, only this time he was not sent sailing across the room. His arm flashed down in a classic block, deflecting the blow.

His teacher stood there, his tiny eyes open as far as they could in utter shock. "How did you do that?"

"I've got to be honest with you, Sensei, all I did was deliberately think of the things I was when you hit me before, so I was ready for it."

"Still, having the knowledge that a blow is coming and having the speed and reflexes to defend against it are two different things. In three blows I used a different technique each time, yet you used exactly the right block to stop my last blow. I ask you again, how did you do that?"

"I…I don't know. All I was thinking was getting my arm down fast enough to block. I wasn't thinking about technique."

Sensei nodded. "We have made good progress today."

"Sensei," Ron asked cautiously. "I get the impression you don't know how to train me, at least to use my mystical monkey power. Everything seems so…random."

The old master cocked his head at the teenager. "Come with me."

Ron followed him out into a rock garden. They walked out onto a small wooden bridge so they may not disturb the carefully raked patterns of the gravel.

The old man bent down and picked up a single pebble, handing it to Ron. "What pattern is this stone in?"

"I don't get it? It's not in a pattern, it's just one little white rock." He answered, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

"Indeed." He took the stone back and carefully placed it back where it had been before. "Now what pattern is it in?"

"Uh, kinds of a swirly thing."

Sensei nodded. "Do you see what it is I am trying to show you?"

"I think. These gardens are supposed to be some kind of harmony between man and nature sort of thing, right?"

"No, Stoppable-san. The stone by itself can be only one pattern, a pattern of one thing, but here with all its brothers it becomes part of the greater whole. It is a small part, yes, but it is indeed a part and the whole is different and incomplete without it. In school, do they not teach you language as well as math?"

"Sure, though I don't see what they have to do with each other."

"Ah, but they do. Without the skills of language, how would they teach you the skills of math, which a language itself."

"Huh? Oh, I get it. They're teaching me everything because I can use all of it together."

"Correct."

"But we've done so little with my power, we don't seem to be getting anywhere."

"Oh? So, you're deliberately summoning the power is not 'anywhere?' Your ability to perfectly block a blow you had no way to correctly anticipate? Is this not progress? Tell me, how long have you been here now?"

"Almost two weeks."

"If I thought we could do what we must in two weeks, would I have brought you here for an entire month?"

"I guess not." Ron admitted. "Hey, what is the deal with having Bonnie come here anyway?"

Sensei looked at him like he had no idea what he was talking about.

"You know, Bonnie Rockwaller. When they announced the students participating in the exchange program, they said she was going to come here during the last week."

"Yes, Rockwaller-san is coming here. Have you considered that her selection might not have anything to do with you?"

"Uh, no, but that's an awfully big coincidence and you've had a lot to say about that sort of thing." Ron said, grinning a little as if he caught his master in a small trap.

"Yes, that is true, but the my reasons for inviting her are my own." He said, turning away from his student to return to the campus. "That will be all for today. It is time for you to resume your school studies. Barkin-san has emailed your latest assignments and he expects them on time."

"Wait a minute, you've got computers here? I thought this place didn't even have electricity."

"We do not have such modern conveniences here, but we do have runners going back and forth to the nearby villages on a regular basis. Some of our graduates maintain homes there and they forward such things to us. Now, I do believe you need to employ your language skills and study the applications of the quadratic equation."

A couple hours later darkness was claiming the mountains of the region and he closed his textbook, rubbing his eyes. Four in the morning seemed like such an early hour, but the nights were getting long and most of them did not stay up long past sundown unless they were studying the use of night in their arts. He found himself quite ready for a good night's sleep before the exercises resumed the next day.

"Stoppable-san?" Yori's voice came from outside.

"Come in." He said, putting his trigonometry book back into his pack.

"Yori slid the screen aside and bowed to him slightly before entering. It was a little surprising to see her wearing a light sleeping kimono. It seemed he had only ever seen her in her training garb, her black ninja suit or the short, sexy Japanese school girl outfit she had been wearing when he first met her.

A very odd though occurred to him, as if out of nowhere. When he had been at Kim's uncle's ranch the summer before last he noticed a Japanese girl in one of her cousin's pictures (well, he thought it was him at first, it was Rufus who pointed out what it really was.) For some reason he was now certain that had been Yori, right there when they had stopped Duff Killagin in Tokyo.

He shook his head to clear that image. He must be mistaken. It had been a while since he had seen that picture.

"Stoppable-san. Ron-san." She amended, smiling shyly at him. "Would you honor me by accompanying me into the village tomorrow morning?"

"Uh, sure, as long as it's cool with Sensei. He might have other plans you know."

"I have already asked him for your assistance. It would also be a good chance for you to perhaps call home. I will take you to lunch. It will be, as you say, my treat."

"Okay, sure. Uh, I'm kind of sleepy, is it okay I see you in the morning?"

"Of course, Ron-san." She got up from her seat, leaning over toward him. He had a bad moment when he thought he'd have to tell her he couldn't promise any secrets, but she only lightly kissed him on the cheek as she had done when she took his leave of him the last time.

"Uh, are we going to borrow Hirotaka's motorcycle or something? I think the nearest village is some ten miles away."

"No, Ron-san. It will of course be our honor to walk."

The way she smiled as she closed the shoji made him think somebody else was developing an American-style sense of humor.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney


	29. Part XXIX

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXIX**

* * *

_Every time I'm riding in a car and I'm preoccupied I look out the window_ Kim thought to herself as she was doing just that. It didn't matter what she was looking at. The scenery she knew from seeing it her entire life and it was dark outside anyway but it really didn't matter if she was watching it or just staring off into space.

The whole sitch was just so awk-weird.

She frowned, thinking ruefully that by now Ron would have asked her what was wrong. Cary, instead, was pounding on his steering wheel, singing along to something she never thought a guy from Go City would want to.

He apparently knew every word, every note, every little inflection of _Free Bird_. It had come up on the MP3 player plugged into the stereo and for the second time he had hit replay.

_I wonder how long I would last dating him if I wasn't with Ron?_ It wasn't that Southern Rock wasn't her thing, he just seemed so different from what she normally liked. He was good looking, smart, nice as he could be but there was just something about him singing at the top of his lungs in the car that was a deal-breaker for her. She did wonder if she really was that shallow.

No, it wasn't shallow. It was her prerogative to like or dislike what she wanted to. Plus, it wasn't like Ron didn't sing along with stuff, especially when an Oh Boyz track would play. Maybe it was something else and she was just focusing on the singing.

Maybe it was the fact that Cary's singing was like a screeching bird in pain.

She looked back at him as the song (mercifully) ended. He was just reaching for the player when she spoke up. "Please, Cary. Not again."

"Okay, no problemo." He turned the volume down to a much more comfortable level. Kim had already decided this was either his car or he did the most driving in it. Considering the way the steering wheel was wrapped, the collection of CDs he apparently played when he didn't have the player with him and the little condor pendant from his old high school hanging on the rearview mirror, it was clearly a teenage boy's ride. It was just interesting that he would have a relatively expensive car like this. He glanced back at her. "Tell me something, and I don't mean this as an insult on him in the slightest way, but what's the deal with Ron?"

She gave him a surprised look. "What do you mean, what's the deal. I love him."

"Yeah, that's pretty apparent but I just can't figure it. I mean, you're like the prettiest girl in the whole school and you'd think you'd have the choice of any guy there." He looked over at her and smiled.

"What, like I'd sit from on high choosing my suitors? So not likely. Oh, and yes, that is a bit insulting to Ron. I did choose and he was my choice." Why was she even thinking what dating this guy would be like. She had Ron and didn't need any other.

"Hey, whatever you say. It's cool. Kind of like my Mom and Dad. Mom used to be a model back when she was in High School and College and Dad, well, let's just say I got lucky and got my looks from Mom."

After knowing him several months, she still had not met his mother. She tried envisioning what a female version of him would look like. At least, if his father wasn't much to look at, he really should understand why somebody could fall in love with somebody who didn't have model looks. "See, there's more to somebody than just how they look, although to me Ron looks real hot."

"So it's what's inside that counts?"

_Maybe he's not so bad if he gets that._ "Yeah. God knows I had to learn that the hard way."

"Erik?"

Kim shivered slightly at the mention of that name, wondering for a moment how he knew that until she realized someone at school had probably filled him in on the whole ordeal. Still, that was a subject she would rather leave in her past. Lessons learned, not need to revisit. "Let's not talk about him, Okay?"

"Sure." He said, turning his attention back to his driving.

She had been so distracted by his singing and their conversation she hadn't noticed they should have been there about ten minutes ago. It only took half an hour to walk there so it only took minutes in a car. "Hey, this isn't the way to the mall. It looks like you're headed for the interstate."

"I am. We're meeting my friends at the Upperton Galleria. I see the Middleton Mall several nights a week and I'm just plain sick of it. Thought you'd like the change of scenery, especially since you've lived here your whole life."

She frowned slightly, simultaneously upset with herself for making the assumption and with Cary for not spelling out that particular detail. Still, it really wasn't a bad idea, though the Galleria tended to be a little snooty and upper-crusty for her tastes. At least it had a Club Banana. "I guess so, but isn't Bundy's a lot closer to Middleton?"

"I had another place in mind. More scenery changes and all that."

"It's still okay for minors?"

"You betcha."

Kim nodded in response. Maybe it was actually a really good idea. If it took them some time to get up with the rest of his friends it was less likely somebody she knew would see them together and make the wrong assumption. She could just imagine what would happen if Bonnie saw the two of them together and reported that to Ron when she went to Japan in a couple weeks. She had come out of the short end of the deal after Kim slugged her and was looking for some payback. Already she was dreading how she might treat Ron once she joined him at Yamanuchi.

"So it doesn't bother you at all that he's Jewish?"

Kim shot him a look, not knowing where that came from. "What's that got to do with anything?" She asked sharply. The only hint she had or anyone around her having a problem had been Ron's mother and she had gotten past that, though Rabbi Katz had warned them there would be certain elements who would not care for their paring, both in the Christian and Jewish faiths.

"Uh, it's just, some people get freaked out. I mean, look at your family. You're so wasp you should have black and yellow stripes and stingers sticking out of your butts."

"What are you talking about? What does any of that matter? Plus you seem to be making a whole lot of assumptions about me and my family."

"Well, look at you. Green eyes, fair skin, red hair. You've got to be Irish, at least some."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Yeah, Mom's got some Irish in her. Back to Ron, why has where he goes to worship got to do with anything?"

"They're so different than you and I. It's like two different worlds that weren't meant to go together."

"How is Ron so different? Are you trying to say the Jews are a whole different race or something? You've got a lot to learn, Cary. Just look at yourself. Your hair, your eyes, even the freckles on your face, they're just like Ron's or do you think all Jews have dark curly hair and big noses and grow long curly beards."

"Kim, I'm sorry, I think you've gotten the wrong idea what I'm talking about. It's about your faiths. There's just too much different."

She shook her head. "Really, not that much if you think about it, though I've accepted Christ as my savior while Ron considers him a prophet, but the way our faiths affect our lives is a lot the same. Sure, I don't speak enough Hebrew yet to understand everything when I go to Temple with him, but his Rabbi has explained a lot when we go to counseling together."

"Counseling? Man, I didn't know you two were having such problems you needed counseling."

"Oy, that's not the point. We're going because we're in love and we want guidance when we do have problems. It's like changing the oil in your car. You do change the oil in this thing, or do you want your mother shelling out for another forty grand car?"

"Okay, okay, I get it. By the way, Mom didn't buy me this, Dad got it for me."

"Oh, while we're on your Dad, why haven't you mentioned he was in prison?"

"I didn't think I needed to bring it up. He's out now but he's busy in Go City."

He pulled off the interstate, heading into a fairly dark district she was only vaguely familiar with.

"You know, I would have thought we had a good ten miles to go yet before the turnoff for the Galleria." Kim said.

"Shortcut. I hate the interchange at Main Street."

"Uh, sure." She said, more than slightly nervous now. Very dark thoughts were starting to creep through her mind.

How much did she really know this guy? Why was it that most of her friends, including her boyfriend and lifelong companion all thought there was something up with him? Why was it that she wasn't listening to them, to her own misgivings. He had set off her weirdar before. Why wasn't she listening to that?

Why was she alone in a car with him, ostensibly going to the wrong mall, getting off the main road long before they needed to for a shortcut that didn't make a bit of sense?

Kim was starting to get the notion that she might have done something really, really stupid.

"Cary, this was all a bad idea. I'd like to go home."

"Why, it won't be long, we're almost there." He said genially.

"Cary, I don't care if we were already in the parking lot, I want to go home right now, so just turn this car around and take me." She said, her voice almost turning into a growl.

"No."

This time she really did snarl. "What do you mean no? When a young woman, whether you're on a date or not says she's going home you take her, you got that?"

"No." he repeated almost impassively."

"Why the hell not?" She screamed at him, her fists starting to ball up.

"Because we're here." He pulled a tiny remote off his sun visor and pointed it forward. They were nowhere near the mall, in fact they were still in the north end of Middleton, somewhere in the warehouse district, not far from where Drakken and Motor Ed constructed their "DoomVee."

Thoughts of the 'Moron Cousins' were the furthest thing from her mind at the moment.

A door rolled up on the side of the building and he drove right in, pulling to a stop in the middle of the abandoned looking warehouse.

"What is going on?" Kim shrieked, reaching into her purse and pulling out the Kimmunicator.

"Nuh, uh, uh!" He said, snatching it from her hand. It crumpled like a soda can in his hand even though some of the internal components were made of high-strength alloy. Chips of plastic and metal rained down from his hand as he dropped the ruins of the device on the floor of his car.

"You know, I thought you were supposed to be such a smart girl." He said, any trace of niceness gone from his face. "I thought this was all going to be a bad idea, that the moment I told you my name the gig would be up, that you'd run at least a cursory background check on me and you'd find out who I am, who my Dad is."

"Cary, just what the hell is going on?" Kim said fearfully, still watching the hand that had crumpled her omni-device. She glanced at her purse, there was still a normal cell-phone in there as well as several other devices that could tie into Wade's system.

"You really don't know, do you? Man, how stupid can you be? I bet if we met in the field you'd know how many moles I have on my butt, yet something so simple as school you just take me at face value."

He reached behind her head and pulled her close as if to kiss her. She slapped him hard across his face.

"Heh. Yeah, there's a lot of spark in you, just like Zita had before I wore it out of her. Difference is, she used to love me. She couldn't get enough of me at first when she transferred to my school. Get out!" He pointed over her shoulder out the door of the car.

Kim couldn't get out of there fast enough. She looked around, trying to decide what the best escape route was. Then she noticed she had left her purse on the seat, still sitting open.

Cary grinned and picked it up, dumping the contents out on the floor. "Oh, look at this? She's a little smarter than I was figuring. A backup." He took her phone and crushed it just like the Kimmunicator. "Two containers of Kissy Girl? The same color? Oh, I wonder which one is which? Not that it matters." He tossed both of them into the back seat. He took note of her keen interest in the building instead of what he was doing. "Oh, don't bother looking for a way out. I've had this building sealed from top to bottom. The only way out is with this remote." He took the device and put it in his pants pocket before getting out of the car.

"Cary, or whatever your name is, this doesn't have to go this way. This is kidnapping, they'll put you away and they'll most likely treat you as an adult." She said, backing up slightly as he slowly advanced on her.

"You think I care about that? In a couple days I'm going to be an adult anyway and I'm going be on the road back home to Dad first thing that morning, to hell with Mom and her stupid custody agreements. The only thing I want from her is her name, since it fits me so well. Oh, and I do like looking this good. Sure helps with the girls most of the time…"

"…when they're not all wrapped up in a freaking loser!" He growled at her, balling up his fist.

"This was supposed to be so easy. Everything in the psyche-profile I hacked from Global Justice said you'd turn into a hopeless fawn for a pretty face like mine. A little help in the color department and I had your precious boyfriend's look down. A quick tumble in the sack, the right rumors told to the right people and boom, no boyfriend, reputation down the tubes and my father gets the revenge he wanted so much while I got a little action out of the bargain.

"But no, you're oh-so-much in love with that little homely dude. What's he got? Maybe it's true what they say about those big hands? Or did he tell you something like how nerds are so good at sex because that's all they think about all the time?"

"Cary…" Kim snarled.

"Actually, It's Carrion, but since we were on a first name basis anyway…"

"Carrion, I thought I was just going to be defending myself, but this is going to feel good!" She growled, dropping into a fighting stance.

"You think? I know." He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a crystal of some sort, almost the size of his fist. Casually walking over to a table he picked up a metal rod. Carefully he attached the crystal to the end of the rod.

"I made one of these for Dad once. It worked like a charm. That one was made to tap into Team Go's glow powers. It was pretty specific, but since I had the harmonics down, pretty simple to make, really. Too bad you and that green bitch had to steal it and ultimately break it before the transfer could become permanent."

"Oh my God. Aviarius is your father?"

"No kidding. You're actually just now getting that? I guess it's a good think I take after my mother. I thought the moment you heard my name you'd get it. That stupid little black girl you hang around with sure did. I heard her telling it to some of her other black friends, and that cripple she's going to pollute the gene pool with. I bet they're out right now polluting it since you were left all alone tonight." He waved the crystal in front of her.

"This one is different. The last one was made only to steal the four power signatures. That's all it could do. Then I got to thinking about things after you broke the old one and sent Dad 'back to his cage'." He said, mocking Hego's voice. "Maybe everyone has a special power, something that they and they alone have. Maybe that was something that could be measured and quantified, so I built a new crystal. Then I tried it on a few nice folks at my old school. Pretty soon the head quarterback couldn't half throw a ball any more. A couple of the braniacs suddenly started failing and had to drop back to normal classes. Suddenly I was a straight A student and on the fast track to college"

He moved, faster than she could have imagined. Before she could even react he was behind her, holding her arm painfully against her back.

"Pretty soon, I guess I'm going to know sixteen kinds of kung fu." He whispered in her ear. Pulling her hair gently aside with his free hand he placed a gentle kiss on her neck.

"I think I might like to have a little bit of what old Ron is having as well."

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	30. Part XXX

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXX**

* * *

His watch was set to go off at a quarter to four, but Ron was awake by then anyway, his body becoming used to the early hour. He certainly made a better impression on the other students when he was already up and dressed when the morning gong was rung. He slipped into his gi and started stretching while mentally preparing for the long hike to and from the nearby village. His body, save the need for stretching, could handle the grueling climb, but it was still a rather boring walk. Both of them could probably run the entire distance, but it just wouldn't do to show up wringing wet in the freezing November air.

"Stoppable-san?" came a whisper right outside his door. "Ron-san." She repeated, even lower.

"Come in." He said quietly. "How are you on this beautiful crisp autumn morning?" He flashed her his brightest grin.

She shut the shoji and bowed slightly toward him. "I am prepared for our task, why are you not?"

"Um, sorry? I'm dressed and stretched up and ready to hoof it to the village with you, just like you wanted. I wonder if they've got a Bueno Nacho there."

"Ah, I see with your American style misunderstanding of proper attire. We may not go to the village wearing our training clothes, we must dress as if we are students at a private school."

He arched an eyebrow in confusion, then realized she was wearing her short-skirted school-girl outfit. "Oh, you mean I need to wear my regular clothes. Just testing you." He covered, knowing it was less than effective. "I'll just be a minute."

"Of course." She said, kneeling near the entrance. Ron had his hands on the knot of his white belt when it became clear that Yori was not about to move. She was not looking directly at him but she was not shielding her eyes either.

"Um, Yori, how about a little American style privacy?" he said, hesitating.

"I am sorry, Stop…Ron-san. I thought it would be quicker if you went ahead. I will, of course, wait outside for you." She frowned just slightly but got up to leave, taking a seat right outside his door and sliding the panel shut.

Ron shook his head as he shrugged into a sweat-shirt and a pair of cargos. Back home he would have likely put on his blue ski-coat in temperatures like this but somehow here it seemed too much. Then again he would likely overheat just a little, especially since the climb down the trail was actually more strenuous than the climb up save for the fact it went quicker (especially if you happen to lose your footing and roll part way down!)

Even though his clothing was loose and baggy, compared to the gi he had been wearing for nearly two weeks it felt oddly restrictive. His big black g-shock style watch felt like a lead weight strapped to his arm. Not that having weights strapped to him would slow him down any longer, it was just that he was keenly aware that it was there.

He found himself really wishing there was a mini-Kimmunicator built into his timepiece but unless Wade was seeding Smarty Mart with his technology just to get it into his hands or had swiped it during the night to make his changes it was just a plain thirty dollar sports watch.

The moment he stepped out of his room a pair of slim muscular arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. He very nearly threw Yori over his head but realized in time she was simply "glomping" him, a sort of friendly hug. It was completely uncharacteristic of the normally hyper-traditional young woman and it was clear they were quite alone. The morning gong was not going to ring for another ten minutes and hardly anyone would emerge from their cells until they had to.

Ron suspected quite strongly that Yori had an ulterior motive for getting him away from the school. Without other prying eyes around she would be free to speak her mind or to try other things. He was certainly hoping that all she wanted to do was talk and if so, that would be perfect. They could clear the air finally and hopefully come away still friends.

That he never in his life expected to be the one to have to gently reject such a beautiful lady was foremost in his mind. He always assumed he would be on the receiving end of the rejections.

"The sunset last night was most lovely. It foretold of a beautiful day today." She said quietly as they walked through the gates.

"Yeah, I saw that, all those red clouds. We've got an old saying…"

"Red skies at night, sailor's delight." She chuckled softly.

"Oh, so you've heard it. Sure that wasn't 'Sailor-Moon's' delight?"

Yori giggled a little more heartily. "Ron-san, did you not know that is the name of a dirty magazine?"

"Dirty…oh, gotcha." He looked sidelong at her. "I just can't picture you looking at stuff like that."

"In our culture we view such things more freely. We have a much more mature attitude toward such things and we are not ashamed to seek an outlet through art. We are not so puritanical as you might think. We have learned how to put these things were they belong, in a healthy place instead of keeping them inside and letting them cause us ill."

"I, uh, think I get it."

Ron frowned. "Did you see that?"

"See what, Stoppable-san." She switched back to his formal name the moment she though they might not be alone.

"I could swear I just saw somebody following us."

Yori smiled at him. "That is just your imagination, Ron-san. If anyone were following us I would know it." She grasped his arm gently and gave it a squeeze, a gesture very reminiscent of something Kim would do just prior to taking his arm. In fact, he found it would be quite natural to be walking down the trail holding hands with her.

Ron was both amazed and troubled by the fact he physically attracted to her so strongly. He felt this way about her before, but only mildly, never enough that he had to make a conscious decision that it simply was not what he wanted. He desired Yori. He desired Kim. It was entirely likely that given some time around other women he would desire them too.

The wonderful difference, the one that made his heart sing with joy and longing was that it was Kim he loved. Those other desires were just the male animal within him. It was the love that made him a man, his choice that he would seek to quench those desires with one person in the whole wide world.

They were about two miles from the school by that point. It was still completely dark outside but there was just enough light to see by since the moon was up late. He had every confidence that Yori would be able to guide them down the trail if it were overcast and the moon was gone, though that would likely mean walking holding hands. Practicality aside, that's something he really didn't want to do, no matter how nice it might have felt.

"Yori, you didn't need me to go with you down there to the village, did you?"

"You are learning wisdom, Ron-san. Yes, I wanted to speak to you about things that…I cannot go on unless I make myself clear."

He looked at her, waiting for her to go on.

"Not unlike the saying your sailors have about the weather, you also have a saying about love at first sight. Do you believe in such a thing?"

He smiled at her. "Yes, though I didn't at first until I realized it actually happened to me."

"Really? I though you had known Possible-san since you were small children. Is there another that you love?" She looked at him with an expression that might have been longing, though he couldn't be sure in the low light.

"I didn't know it happened to me until I knew how much I was in love with her. Then I realized that, even back when I was four years old I loved her the moment I laid eyes on her. She made me do things I never thought possible…until I knew a Possible."

"Go on."

"Well, she was being bothered by a bunch of bullies and she was on the verge of crying. Normally if those bigger kids even looked at me I'd run away screaming, but something about her made me stand up to them."

"You saved her from the bullies? Even then you were a hero."

"Welllllllll, It didn't really work out that way. Sure I stood up to them, but they proceeded to beat me up. Then something amazing happened. Kim stopped crying and beat them up instead, all three of them."

Yori looked at him with confusion. "You did not save her then, she saved you."

"No, Yori. We saved each other and we've been doing it ever since. We've always been two halves of a whole, it was only just last spring, just a few weeks since we last met you that we realized just how deep that went."

She nodded sadly. "I understand, Ron-san. I only brought up love at first sight because it has happened to me too. Now I see that the very things I saw in you that make me love you are the very things that make you Possible-san's and not mine."

"Yori…I…you love me? I just thought you had a crush on me."

"Ron." She said, sobs creeping into her voice. It was also the first time he could remember her saying just his name without the honorary. "I do no know what I feel. I do not love any of the other boys at the school, I never have. Everyone seems to think I would be such a good match for Hirotaka, and perhaps they are right, that he would one day make a good companion for me, but that is not love. I didn't even know what that was until the day I first met you."

Ron stammered. "Yori, I don't get it. I was just a fifteen year old clumsy loser when I got here. I couldn't do half the exercises you tried to teach me, I tore down the shoji wall three or four times, I even destroyed a building that had been standing for a thousand years. What was there to love, I'm not even good looking?"

She responded by wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. He tried to resist but found he couldn't do so without hurting her one way or another. By the time she broke away he had already resolved there was definitely one ambush kiss he would have to report to Kim.

"I do not care about those things." She said as she resumed the hike. "I have a lain awake at nights thinking about you. I do not pretend to understand it, all I know is that I do love you and now that I have kissed you, that is all that will pass between us."

"It is?"

"Yes, Ron. Because I love you I will also honor you and respect you. You have been nothing but honest with me and I can clearly see how much your Possible-san means to you. I cannot in good conscience try to break a bond that is so true. Sensei told me there might be a chance that you might only be play-acting through a first love, but now I know he was wrong."

"Wait a second. Sensei told you that?"

"Yes, right before you arrived."

"Why that two-faced snake in the…FUJI!" He cursed, balling his fist.

"Ron-san, what is wrong."

"I'll tell you what's wrong. Sensei has been going on and on with me about how my soul is merged with Kim's and how we're meant to be and all sorts of prophecy mumbo-jumbo and stuff and here he's telling you that it's fine to make a play for me? I can take all that serious mystical crap since it's obviously real, but that's just low. He wasn't just playing me, he was playing you too."

Yori stopped and put a hand to his mouth, obviously shocked. Finally she said, "Sensei knows a great many things and he must know what he was doing. Perhaps he saw the need to test your devotion to Possible-san."

"That doesn't give him the right to screw around with you like that. I may not be in love with you, but I really, really like you and I consider you a friend and I don't like seeing that kind of crap happen to any of my friends. Period!" He turned on he heel and started back up the trail toward the school.

"Stoppable-san! Ron! What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked angrily as he briskly climbed. "I'm going back there to give him a piece of my mind, then I'm going to pack my things and start heading for home. If this is the kind of crap I've got to deal with, then I'm done with all this mystical monkey stuff anyway. Monkey's ain't the only ones flinging their poop around."

She caught up to him and grabbed his arm, trying to slow him down. "Ron, you cannot do this. It is too important. You must learn to control your power."

"So what. All I've seen so far is him doing a bunch of stuff that I could learn in any dojo back home. In fact, he hasn't done anything that Kim wasn't already doing for me anyway and let me tell you, working out and getting all sweaty with a woman who looks hot in a jog-bra is a whole lot better than working out with an old dude in robes. From what I've seen I don't even think he knows the first thing about helping me with my power. The only thing that's happened so far I did, not him and now I find he's trying to play games with our hearts."

"Ron, stop!" She said, raising her voice for perhaps the first time since he had known her.

He turned and faced her, scowling.

"Sensei told you there are only two people who have gained the power of Tai Xing Pek Kwar. At the time he was unaware that Rufus-san had been exposed as well. He did not tell you that there are others who have that power as well, though it did not come from the statues."

"Oh, so what are you telling me?" He asked angrily. "That Sensei has been holding out on me, that he's got the power too?"

"He and one other are the last living ones who have the power naturally. I do not know who this other is, but if there is anyone in this world who knows about the power it is he. I too have read some of the prophecies and I know how important you are to him and to what he must one day do. If he does not know everything, then it is your duty, your honor to help him see his task through." She held out her hand. "Please, let us go down to the village as we had planned."

"Why? I thought this whole thing about going down there was just a chance to clear the air. We've done that, though I'm sorry it's turned out this way."

"Ron. I am still your friend and I would still like to spend the day with you as a friend since I cannot spend it as your lover. I would far rather do that than see you leave in anger and undo so much that has been accomplished."

He stopped, frowning, looking downhill. There was just enough light to see the tears streaming down her face.

"Please, Ron. As a friend I ask you to do this for me."

His scowl melted away and he walked down the trail to her. He let her embrace him, holding her tight as the tears fell. He let her stay that way for a long time. He knew it was okay and that it was what she needed.

It was amazing how women who appeared so strong could be so emotionally fragile. He thought of Kim's face, how she could smile, her head cocked slightly to the side letting her long red hair fall just so…

_Beep-beep-de-beep_

Ron's jaw dropped. That was the last sound he ever expected to hear. He looked around frantically but he knew that his communicator was sitting in his desk drawer back home in Middleton. Then he started hunting for a porcelain statue, something Wade could use a high resonance band to communicate with but there was nothing around but plants and stones.

_Beep-beep-de-beep_

His mouth dropped even further open when he realized just where the sound was coming from. Wade had actually done it. He still didn't know if it happened before he bought it or it had been switched out later. It was just like his original tracking chip, Wade moved in mysterious ways.

He looked at his watch, which continued beeping incessantly. Not knowing what else to do, he touched the night-light button. A ghostly holographic image sprung up over the watch.

"Ron! I was hoping you would be wearing your watch." Wade said, worry evident in his voice.

"You got lucky, this is the first time since I got here. Wade, what's going on?"

"Ron, I know this is a long shot, but I'm worried about Kim. I got an emergency damage alert from her Kimmunicator, then that went dead too. Right after that the backup mini-Kimmunicator I put in her cell-phone went dead."

He was instantly alert. "Wade, have you got a lock on her position?"

"That's just it, Ron. Something is blocking the signal. If you still had your old chips I might be able to pick up the active signal they broadcast, but these new stealth models don't work unless the signal from the satellite can reach them. I'm going to have to work on that. Look, the reason I called you is that we can't find her. I lost the signal somewhere in the warehouse district, but that's it. That's a whole lot of area to search if she's in trouble."

"And you called me why?"

"I was hoping you might be able to do that mystical communications thing and find out where she is, or maybe the school's master could. Look, I called her parents and they said Cary was taking her to the mall, but not I can't even pick up his car on satellite scans."

"WHAT! She went out with Cary?"

"Ron, it's not what you think. She was just going to the mall with a group of friends. I'm just assuming they somehow got diverted, maybe some emergency."

"I find it odd she would go out with the son of one of your enemies." Yori said offhandedly.

"What did you say?" Ron and Wade asked in unison.

"Did you not know this? Cary On is the son of the man Stoppable-san and Possible-san helped capture in Go City. This was in the file about your school."

"Oh my God, she's right! Why didn't I see that before?" Wade said. "If Kim doesn't know…"

"I knew that guy was five hundred miles of bad road. Wade, how fast can you get me transport?"

"Ron, I can probably have something there in an hour, but it'll still take hours to get back here. You're thousands of miles away."

He was breathing hard, alternately looking at the translucent image and at the ridge-top school above them.

"I think I have an idea." He said, resolutely turning toward the school.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	31. Part XXXI

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXI**

* * *

Kim back-flipped away as another blast of white light from Carrion's staff ripped into the floor where she had been an instant before. In the same move she sprung backwards again, using her momentum to hand-spring up onto a stack of crates. 

It had been painful enough and her arm and shoulder would complain in the morning, but she did managed to flip him over her head a moment after he kissed her neck. Well, that is if she could get out of this scrape. This was much worse than usual, she was fighting a foe who knew how to play on her weaknesses and had waited to strike when she was the most vulnerable. The fact she could admit to herself that not having Ron to rely on had crippled her did make her smile. Sure didn't help the current sitch though. She had to fight down the urge to throw up as she considered the rest of what he had said.

"Oh, this should be so much fun." Carrion screeched from below her. His voice had gone up an octave and now sounded so much like his father it was scary. It sounded so odd coming from someone who looked like he did. "You know, I considered having the whole place cleaned out so you wouldn't have any place to run, but this is going to be so much more stimulating. Funny, isn't it, that Dad likes to emulate birds that feast on the dead instead of birds who hunt. I'm finding I like hunting my prey instead of waiting for it to expire. How much brain power does it take to wait for something to get run over by a car. No, the hunters have the real brain power, not the carrion feeders. Do you know how much trouble he had teaching that condor of his to fight?"

"Only someone as insane as your father would use a species that came so close to extinction, and to think I actually had to hurt that poor thing." She winced again, though it was now being de-trained so it could be released back into the wild.

"Don't flatter yourself, hero." He said, casually spinning the staff in his hand. "His giant condor was nothing more than a distraction so he could bring my toys out to play. You think somebody like my Dad actually built Heat-Seeking-Hummingbirds?" He suddenly pointed it at her and fired the beam. She only just got clear as it struck. "Jump around all you want to sweetheart, it's only going to prolong the inevitable." He fired again, but she was well clear of the blast this time.

"So you're the one who built the Flamingo of Doom too? Boy, that sure was really sane." She taunted as she leaped from box to box.

As if he had all the time in the world, he started unbuttoning his shirt. He slipped it off and started working on his pants, revealing the costume he had on underneath. It was skin tight, mostly black except for the outstretched bird wings across his chest and shoulders. Somehow she thought it was missing a fringe of feathers around the neck and a cape. Then all that remained would be to slick his hair up like a blue-jay's crest.

"Dad designed it, but I'm the one who had the genius to build it. I'm the real brains of this operation. I may be named for the great carrion feeders, but I like to think of myself more as a hawk. I'm a natural hunter and I've got to admit, you have been my most worthy prey to date." He said, twirling the staff again.

"Know what, Carrion, I was scared there for a minute, but you're just like all the rest of the freaks, you talk too much." She stepped from around a crate and landed a powerful right hook on his chin, sending him sprawling backwards.

He recovered, rubbing his chin with his free hand. "Oh, that was a good one. Too bad you didn't do that before instead of just a slap. Zita used to slap me, until she learned not to."

"Ach, I sure don't know her all that well, but what would she ever see in a creep like you?" Kim said disgustedly as she sprung back into the heights of the warehouse.

"Oh, and like you didn't like what you saw? If it weren't for your little pet boy-toy I'd have had you the first time you set eyes on me, so you think she was any different?"

"So, why Zita, Carrion. Isn't she Puerto Rican or something, wouldn't that be 'polluting the gene pool' as you so beautifully put it?" She sneered at him.

"She serves her purpose." He said, angrily, trying to draw a bead on her.

"Sounds more like you're just a hypocrite. So what did you do? Use your magic rock to sap her will or something?"

"You don't know the half of it, cheerleader. You have no idea what she used to be capable of." He was clearly growing impatient. This was taking longer than he thought it might.

Kim thought the longer she kept him talking, the better chance she would have to find an opening. If that didn't work, she was going to have to find out just how well he had the building sealed off, though that would mean cutting across the open and risking being hit by the beam. She recalled what it felt like to have Hego's power ripped from her body by one of those. Even though that wasn't her power rightfully it was far from pleasant having it taken that way.

She was also starting to feel very sorry for Zita. She might have once been a potential rival for Ron's affections but nobody deserved the way Carrion had been treating her.

Kim also found she could not think of him as Cary any more. Only a short time ago he had been the nice, pleasant, hot-looking guy she had known since the start of school. All of that was gone, ripped away just as he had ripped his street clothing off to reveal his true identity. Now he was simply Carrion.

Like Monique said, carrion is nothing more than dead meat!

If she could just keep him talking a moment more…

"Thinking of keeping me busy?" He said, shouldering the staff as he scanned the warehouse for her. "Think again. I've set up a communications disruptor so not even that tracking chip embedded in your neck is going to help." He smiled, which now instead of showing off his perfect teeth, looked more like a snarl.

She had to fight down another wave of nausea as she remembered her first thought when she met him was to wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Gross! She made a pact with herself right then and there the only guy she would ever consider kissing again was Ron.

If he was jamming her tracking chip, that meant that Wade would only have a general area to look in. Now she had no way of knowing if the destruction of her Kimmunicator had set off the automatic warnings or if her signal had simply disappeared off the map. Either way, that meant he couldn't pinpoint where she was right then.

A search of all the warehouses in that area could take all night.

"Here Kitty, Kitty." He called casually shouldering his staff. "Yeah, I think you're a kitty-cat Kim. That sounds cool. Kitty-cat Kim. You sure used up a bunch of your nine lives there, haven't you KCK?

She noticed something sitting on the floor, apparently forgotten by her foe. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on her new target. If she could only get to the floor…

Carrion barely missed her again as she vaulted up into the open framework of the roof. She caught the welded rebar and worked her way hand-over-hand. Kim might have avoided one more blast of the abilities sucking weapon but now she was in the open. In her minds eye she could see him drawing a bead on her. Making a quick guess at the speed it could generate another beam she let go of the framework. Her judgment was near perfect, the beam just missing her fingertips as she dropped away.

It was a good thirty feet to the floor below and she was too far away from the stacks to spring off one, slowing her descent. She landed in a roll, hoping to soften the blow. It worked, she didn't break any bones but her left ankle was now at least badly sprained. The pain was almost too much to bear but the alternative was even worse.

"See?" His voice drifted over the crate, echoing slightly on the metal roof. "Meow, meow, meow kitty, kitty. Did you land on your feet? Or course you did, but that's another life gone. How many lives has the great Kim Possible spent out of her nine now?"

"What's the matter, Cary? Don't you know cats hunt birds?" She said, limping between some boxes but keeping her target in sight.

"Hah! Have you ever seen what a great horned owl can do to a housecat? Their wings don't even miss a beat when they snatch them up. They're no different than rats to them."

_Keep talking, jerk. Let's me know right where you are._

"See, I was upset at first that I had to come here, but Dad didn't want Mom to know just exactly who I was yet. Then he found out where she was taking me. Now, normally all he cares about is Team Go. That's why they let him out this time, since all he did was battle them. They couldn't even make the kidnapping charges stick since the Wegos are part of the team. Aggravating circumstances and all. Don't you just love lawyers? Some guy named Ted, he's a real peach.

"Anys-the-how. See, Dad was ecstatic I'd get the chance to have a crack at you. For me, I thought it would be fun, especially since you're so hot. You're ever hotter than the chick who used to be on Team Go. He thought a good bloody nose would be a fitting revenge for your part in his last capture. So, I got to thinking. It'd be a whole lot more fun to knock you down a couple pegs, especially if I got a shot at you in the bargain. That's why I had the party. Oh, you thought you were so smart fixing your own drinks. Too bad you didn't keep a good enough eye on your cup. Vodka is some wonderful stuff, you don't even know you're getting wasted until you're too far gone to care.

"But you had that little angel sitting on your shoulder, your little ninth life waiting there. I thought for sure once you started pawing all over him you'd get him upstairs. Then all it would take would be a quick pop to the back of his skull and I'd be the one having fun instead of him. No, you're little loser up and decides he's mister noble and takes you home right quick-like. That's why he's never going to amount to anything, he doesn't know when it's his advantage to take."

Carrion was at least two rows over. She was sure about it. It was now or never.

As quickly as her busted ankle could carry her she burst from her hiding place, making a dive for Carrion's forgotten street clothes. The remote for the door should still be in his pants pocket! He might have been incredibly intelligent, but that was just a rookie mistake!

She grabbed the trousers, trying not to think whose flesh had been touching them as she fumbled for the device. Her hands closed on something made of rectangular plastic.

Carrion wasn't as inexperienced as she thought. There he stood over her, the staff leveled at her.

"Hello Kitty." He said with a snarl.

The crystal came up. This time she had nowhere to run.

"Carrion, do you know what you said about that angel sitting on my shoulder?"

"Doesn't look like he's going to save you this time, Kimberly Anne!" He gloated.

"Turn around." Another voice said.

He turned just in time for the end of a bo-staff to smash across his face. Teeth went flying from the force of the blow. Carrion went sailing backwards, landing in a heap some fifteen feet away from Ron, who was holding the staff ready. The look on his face wouldn't have just cowed Drakken that night at Bueno Nacho Headquarters…

…it would have sent him screaming into the night.

A few short minutes ago he had been in Sensei's room, begging the old man for a way to help Kim.

"I have to send her a warning, something, anything. Wade can't reach her, so that leaves only you."

"Stoppable-san, you are asking me to do something that is not in my power to do." The old Master said sadly.

"Don't' give me that, Sensei. I know you've been spying on me. You've either got some way of getting back and forth to Middleton or you were using that mystical contact thingy. Whichever, I either need to get over there or I need to warn her." Ron pleaded.

"It does not work that way. When I contact you, it is because you have the Mystical Monkey Power. Your friend…"

"She's way more than a friend and you know it. You know it now more than ever since you're little scheme with Yori fell apart." Ron said angrily.

"Your…lover is a strong woman. She can defend herself against this minor thug." He said resolutely. "We have judged him to be no danger, he follows his mother's lead, not his father's."

"How can you know that? I knew the moment I saw him that he was bad news and now Kim's missing and she's supposed to be with him? Come on, Sensei, even somebody as slow as me can connect the dots there. That's why I've got to warn her, she thinks he's her friend!"

"Again I tell you it is not possible. You are the only one who can do so and you do not yet know how to harness that power. I do not have the link to her that you do. I would help you if I could, but this is beyond my power. We must all accept what is to come for good or ill simply because there is nothing that can be done. The best I can offer is to call on Hirotaka's satellite phone." He turned to the young man, who looked genuinely surprised. "I know you have it and I know you honor my rules by not using it here. However, it would do us no good at this time if she cannot speak on her usual devices. You will recall she was cut off from help when she helped rescue me as Doctor Hall-san took it from her."

Ron left the chamber, hanging his head. Yori followed close behind, her hand resting on his shoulder.

He had a horrible thought that if things didn't go well, the young Ninja might be all he had. No, it wasn't any good to think about things like that. It would be like burying her before she was gone. If only it didn't seem so hopeless.

"Boy!"

Ron spotted Nooni coming toward him down the corridor.

"I'm afraid I'm not much in the mood for any breakfast right now, Nooni-sama."

"Pagh! Not making food for fat boy no way. You go help red-hair girl. She need you."

"But I can't. The fastest I could get there is almost a whole day. She needs my help right now." He said sadly.

"Then you go help her now."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

She grabbed him by the arm and shoved him into an empty sparring room. "This not for you, Yori-chan." She said, shutting the screen in front of the startled young woman.

"You think Nooni make you Naco? Funny boy. I good cook, but not that good." She produced what looked for all the world like a bit of carved stone. It was about an inch thick and perfectly triangular. Some sort of characters were carved on it, though they were obviously not Japanese or Chinese. In fact, he had no idea whatsoever what they were, only that they had something to do with her ability to provide him with dinners that he was used to. The fried chicken the night before must have actually come from the Chicken Shack in Middleton.

That meant something else.

"It was you I saw in the caf! You were the one spying on me."

"Yes, yellow hair. You got me. You see Nooni make sure boy behave self properly. Now, you take this." She handed Ron a bo-staff from a nearby rack. "It good hit bad boy with stick." She chuckled as if it were some kind of private joke.

She took the stone and held it out in front of her. Then she looked him right in the eye. "You must think where she is. You must find way to her. I give you ten minutes, then I bring you back. You understand."

"I do." He said. Concentrating, he tried to think of where Kim was, tried thinking of her face, framed by that lovely auburn hair, her green eyes shining brighter than the emeralds he had given her for her birthday.

With a yell Nooni slammed the stone down on the wooden floor. There was a burst of light as a circle of energy formed over the stone. It was hazy white at first, then it turned into what looked like a floating pool of mercury.

"You go now, round-eye. You help red-hair girl. You help her and make lots of babies with her some day." She giggled as he stepped into the circle.

Moments later he was standing in a dark warehouse. At first all he could see was a small table sitting beside a new looking car. Then he heard somebody speaking.

It was Cary, though his voice sounded different. He was saying something about Kim's angel.

He was standing over Kim with a crystal tipped staff. The staff itself was longer, but he knew what it was and what it could do. She didn't have any special powers but that didn't mean it couldn't hurt her somehow.

At a dead run he held up the staff like a baseball bat. Just as he reached then he said. "Turn around!"

Carrion looked at his attacker. If his possibly busted jaw hadn't hurt so much it would have hung there slack. Standing in front of her was the very last person he thought he would see that night.

"This isn't possible." He whispered, holding his jaw with one hand, the staff with the other.

"No, she's Possible, pretty boy. I'm Ron, Ron Stoppable and I told you before…"

"…Stay…away…from…KIM!" He screamed as he vaulted toward his opponent.

Not experienced in combat, he did the only thing he could think of at the moment, which was to bring the staff up in front of him, trying to ward off the blow. He just barely managed to do just that, but Ron simply vaulted over him.

However, he was recovering quickly. Some of the abilities he had stolen with his crystal bordered on the astounding and when used all at once, granted him an accelerated healing ability. It couldn't do anything about the missing teeth, but at least his jaw wasn't broken, only deeply bruised.

"Looks like I'm going to get the complete set, just like my father thought. I wonder what that monkey thing of yours is going to do to me. Hope it doesn't make me look like a little shrimpy loser like you."

"Why don't you try and find out." Ron growled right back at him.

"Don't mind if I do." In a movement that was hard to follow, he brought the crystal down and fired. It intersected with Ron's body, lifting him partially up into the air. Along with the white light that held him fast, a pale yellow light started snaking from his body.

"Ah, I can feel it already!" Cary gloated, his eyes gleaming with the same madness his father had. "Soon I will have power that rivals that monkey freak you fight. Team Go will fall to me, then the other superheroes of the world will fall. I will become what my father only dreamed of. All because you are such a fool to bring me the power that will be key!"

"Oh, you can have it." Ron said wearily as the Mystical Monkey Power was sucked from his body. "I didn't want it to begin with, but do you know what my job is in Team Possible?" He grinned slightly.

"What's that, loser?"

"He's the distraction." Kim said, grabbing the staff from Carrion's hands.

She spun it over her head, bringing the crystal down, smashing it to a thousand pieces on the concrete floor.

"NOOOOOO!" Carrion screamed as multi-colored lights streamed from the remains. Then his own body started to glow as the powers he had stolen were separated from him. They wafted into the sky, presumably returning to their rightful owners.

He feel to his knees, trying to scoop up the shards. His shoulders sagged and his face changed subtly. He was still Cary, yet he seemed so much less now.

The resemblance to his father was striking.

Ron fell to the floor, still dazed. The yellow light was rushing back into him. His power, his curse was returning to him once more. It almost would have been worth it to lose it. Almost.

It may have been a trick of the light, but he thought some of that light had settled on Kim, though the vision was only fleeting. Then it was gone.

Carrion looked at Kim, who was standing proudly even on her injured ankle. Ron was slowly getting up. He took one more look at the two of them and ran screaming. He hit a hidden switch and the door rolled up, letting him out into the night.

Ron started to go after him.

"No, Ron. It's over. We've won. We can let the police pick him up now. If we do anything else that makes us just like him. It will be revenge."

He looked back at her knowing she was right. Then it hit both of them.

They rushed into each other's arms, crushing their bodies together as they kissed. Kim put her head over his shoulder and held him even tighter.

"Ron, how did…?"

Sadly, he let go of her. The place was already fading away, slowly being replaced by the dojo in Yamanuchi.

"I'll tell you when I get home. I love…" and then he was gone.

* * *

Carrion stumbled through the dark streets, not quite knowing where he was or where he was going. His whole world had been shattered along with that crystal. It was his masterpiece and it should have worked. 

It was that boy! That thrice-cursed loser that bitch Kim was so in love with. How did he get back form Japan? Was he even over there in the first place. Not that it mattered, even without the stolen abilities he was a genius. He would build another crystal, this time making it so the effect really would be permanent. Then he would have his revenge.

Something stuck him in the temple, sending him sprawling to the ground.

A figure was silhouetted in the half-light of a distant street-lamp. It was the figure of a woman. A short, slight woman with dark, full hair. She was holding what looked like a baseball bat but was more likely a crude club of some sort. She tapped it in her free hand.

"Hello, boyfriend." Zita said as she advanced on the source of her torment.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	32. Part XXXII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXII**

* * *

Kim dug around in the quart container, trying to get the last little bit of her favorite ice-cream, fudge ripple, out of the bottom corners. The dark chocolate streaks were extra-sticky and the carton didn't want to surrender that last little bit. It didn't matter there were two more containers in the freezer, she wasn't going to leave anything in this one before she started on the next.

This time he mother wasn't about to take it from her. Sometimes a woman has to do what a woman has to do. If that meant plowing through a quart of ice cream in one sitting, so be it. She could be allowed such an indulgence once and a while. Oh, she did give it a try, but one look from Kim sent her back off to the kitchen to clean up after breakfast.

Her left foot was propped up on the coffee table in a temporary cast. By the time she found Cary's cell phone and called the police it was starting to hurt worse and worse. An x-ray proved she had indeed suffered a slight fracture, putting her in the cast and shelving her Cheerleading career for the next few weeks.

Sadly it also meant she couldn't ride Ron's motorcycle for a while. It was nice having her own transportation around, at least for a while. Maybe it was time to get an actual job and start saving money to buy her own car.

_Yeah, right, like that was going to happen. First day on the job and the Kimmunicator was going to go off. Won't last too long that way, now will I?_

The older, clunkier Mark 1 Kimmunicator sat on the coffee table, serving as her main means of communication until Wade could whip her up another Mark 2. He was even thinking of making up one built into a bracelet, though he couldn't get all the features into such a small space. For now she'd have to do with another hand-held.

She saw Monique coming up the patio steps and put her busted foot down under the table. She had tried to call her last night when she finally got home from the hospital but her cell kept going to voice mail. One look at her bubbly attitude and she had a strong notion why.

"Girlfriend, what on earth are you wearing?" She said, pointing directly at Kim's belly.

She picked at a fold near where her friend was pointing. "You like?"

"As a night shirt? Real cute, but to wear out anywhere, leave that to your sweetie. Tell me we're not going out with you wearing that."

Kim smiled sweetly, pulling the collar of Ron's jersey to her nose and breathing in deeply. "No. Don't know how much running around I'm going to do today. I've only been up long enough to have breakfast."

"Breakfast of champions?" Monique asked, holding up the empty ice cream container.

"Well, desert." She admitted.

Monique sat down beside her. "So, you're just going to be moopy and sit around the house all day long. Girl, I've got to get you out of here so we can dish about last night."

"Dish all you want, Monique, I'm going to sit right here." Kim said resolutely.

Monique looked around conspiratorially and leaned close to Kim. "Girl, from here on out, let nobody…I mean nobody say anything about Felix being half-a-man. Let me tell you, child, he is one hundred percent man."

Kim gasped. "You didn't…"

Her friend just nodded vigorously.

Kim shifted a little closer to her. "So, details? Come on."

"All I'm going to say is that he has some really strong arms. Then he started doing tricks."

"Tricks?" Kim asked dubiously.

"I mean later. He has this other chair he likes to use around the house. It's one of those really expensive looking aluminum ones with skinny bicycle tires on it and he showed me wheelies and nose-stands and he even showed me how he could get up short flights of stairs."

"Whew, I thought you meant he had some tricks somewhere else."

"Nah, that'll come along with experience. Still, he was damn good for his first time."

"Monique, sounds like you plan to let him practice some more."

"Don't you know it. I can't wait. It's been too long since I've met a guy worthy of me and let me tell you, he blows the door right off its hinges." She was grinning from ear to ear as she spoke, still remembering the night before.

"So, details, Mon. I want the juicy details." Kim said, her own grin starting to mirror her friend's.

"Not too much, or you're probably going to kill that poor boy when he gets home." She warned with a giggle.

"Oh, let me tell you, Mon, I am so going to rock Ron's world when he gets back. I may not even be able to stop myself with him this time." She said with a sly grin.

"Maybe we need to get the two of you apart more often. You sure you're going to last the next two and a half weeks? Sure we don't need to babysit you, just so you don't catch the eye of some random hotness?"

Kim's smile turned deeper as she shook her head. "For Ron, I'd wait a hundred years." She sat back crossing her arms over her chest, imagining they were wrapped around Ron instead.

Monique shook her head. "I am so glad I've got a boyfriend now, girl I would so have to try and take him from you. Damn you are such a lucky girl to have a guy you feel like that for."

"Mon, you know him, you know what he's like. You know how he kisses." She added, a playful growl creeping into her voice, not quite ready to let that faux pas go.

She let it pass. "Well, here's hoping I can some day feel the same way about Felix, though right now I'm probably coming pretty close."

"So, are you going to give me details or am I going to have to kung-fu them out of you?" Kim laughed.

"Don't get your panties in a wad." She glanced at Kim's bare leg. "You are wearing panties under that, I hope?"

Kim lifted the hem, displaying a pair of white tennis shorts. "Yes, I'm dressed. Like I said, though, I'm not planning on leaving the house today."

"Kim, that is so not like you. I would have thought you'd want to go to the mall at least, of something. Unless you saw enough of the mall last night." She raised an eyebrow as Kim's expression darkened considerably.

She shook her head. "No, we never made it to the mall." She said, the humor going out of her voice.

"Uh oh. Girl, did Cary try something with you? Was that all a setup just to get you to go out with him?"

"Worse." She said, pulling her foot out and putting the cast up on the table.

"Oh no. You got called on a mission? See, that's what happens when you run off without Ron like that. So, were Cary and his friends upset?"

"Um, I don't think he had any of those friends he was talking about and Cary's in the hospital right now."

"Dayum, so he did try something…and you put him in the hospital?"

Kim shook her head again and told her friend everything, about Cary actually being Carrion and what he said he was going to do at the warehouse. Then how he was found later, battered but alive. Apparently, so the police thought, he ran into some of the city's less savory elements after he fled the scene. It had been known to happen in that part of the town, though Kim thought it couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.

Monique was the very first person besides her parents she could actually tell about Ron.

"…and you still don't know how he got there? Wow."

"I'm not totally sure he really was there, at least completely. It's like one minute he was hugging me, the next he was just disappearing. He barely got 'I love you' out. The ferociously coolest thing is when Carrion started taunting me about having an angel watching over me, there was Ron."

"Oh, that is sooooo sweet!" Monique cooed. "So, how long are you stuck in that?" She asked, pointing to her foot.

"A couple weeks, then I've got to wear a brace for a couple more. At least it should be off when Ron gets home." She added hopefully.

"Kinda going to be hard to 'rock his world' if it isn't."

"Monique, Monique, Monique. For somebody who has so much experience, which, BTW, you still haven't given me the details about, you don't seem to understand the male animal too well. I'm still literally going to knock his socks off."

"Well, that's good, cause I'd be knocking some other clothes off if I were…" Monique suddenly found her lips covered by Kim's fingertips as her father drifted by the entrance of the den. "Girl, this is why we need to get you out of this house, cast or no."

"Come on." Kim forced herself to her feet, wary that her shoulder was still tender from when she had thrown the jerk. She was lucky her whole shoulder hadn't been dislocated by that maneuver, though he wasn't expecting it. It was a good thing, too, considering what he said he wanted to do. That thought alone had her wanting to retch and she had spent much time in the shower scrubbing the spot on her neck where he had kissed her.

She clumped up the stairs, regretting for the first time she lived on what was essentially the third floor of her home. There were crutches leaning on her desk up there but she found it a lot easier just to haul the walking-cast around. She was supposed to sit as much as possible for the rest of the weekend anyway, a stricture her mother was very likely to enforce. Anne did eye her warily as she mounted the iron-framed stairs to her room.

Once they were certain of their privacy, Monique finally filled her in on the gory details of her date, still leaving certain details in more general terms.

"So are you and mister Knight-in-shining-armor ready for that?" Monique asked finally.

"To be honest, I've been ready since the day after the prom, or at least I thought I was. Ron wasn't and in hindsight I guess I wasn't really either."

"But you still wanted to."

"Oh, so badly. I've told you about the dreams I have about him, haven't I."

"On several, separate occasions. As in lots." She responded, sitting at the desk and playing with the wing-nuts on the wooden crutches. "I still don't know how the two of you hold out."

"Like I said, I don't know if there's going to be any holding out once he gets back for real. This time if he pulls a disappearing act on me, I'm kicking his biscuit."

"Sounds to me like dude-boy didn't have much choice in the matter about going back. He's sure got some freaky powers. I wonder if they even missed him. What time of day would it have been there?"

"Morning, I think. They probably did miss him, they usually have him up at four in the morning for training."

"Four in the morning? Girl, what kind of school is he at. I'd be opening my own brand of Smack-Monkey if anyone tried getting me up at four."

"Um, it's kinda intense. They believe in getting an early start."

Monique shook her head, looking up at the sloping ceiling. "I am so glad your boy doesn't like being normal, cause that's so not!"

"He'll never be normal. He's weird and I love him that way." Kim said, laying back on her bed and crossing her hands over her stomach.

"I feel bad now about last night, considering what happened to you." Monique said.

"It's no big. We won, he lost, it's just another notch in the win column for Ron and me."

"You think you would have learned your lesson after all of this." Monique said, rummaging around in her purse before finally coming up with a sharpie marker.

"Lesson? What lesson?" Kim said, looking up as her friend kneeled at her foot, writing on the cast.

"This one." She said, pointing to her work.

"This is what happens when you don't listen to your friends." Was written right across the front.

"Ouch." Kim said, letting her head fall back again.

"I can't believe that you had me telling you how off kilter that boy was, but the real kicker is that Ron could see it too and you didn't seem to want to listen to it." She chided, shaking the marker at her.

"Well, Ron I was kinda figuring to be just jealous. I swear to you, though Mon, if he ever says somebody's 'bad road' again I am so going to listen to him. He's right so often, despite himself."

"So, you gonna tell him that?"

"Tell him what?"

"That he was right and you weren't."

"I think he already knows that. He heard part of what that jerk had to say."

"No, Kim, I mean you've got to tell him straight up front. You've got to tell him so he knows you trust him."

"But I didn't trust him, Monique. I don't want to rub that in."

"So you're now miss perfect? I guess I'll call Bonnie Rockwaller and tell her she's been right all this time about you. Yes, you blew it, but you've got to let him know you learned from that. Kim, that boy loves you, he's not going to up and leave you for something like that, but if you don't clear the air about it it's going to poison you eventually."

"I guess you're right. It just seems so wrong to have to bring it up again."

"My advice, you do it after you 'knock his socks off' or whatever other bits of his clothes you pick."

They sat quietly for a bit, both of them grinning, thinking about their respective boyfriends.

"So, wearing his shirt help in the dreams department?" Monique asked finally. She was thinking to herself that she might want to get one of Felix's green shirts away from him.

Kim pulled the collar up to her nose again, breathing in his scent. "Don't you know it." She said, dreamily.

"Uh huh. You sure you don't yank it off and stick it on a pillow so you can pretend?" She grinned maliciously at her friend.

"Mon! I so do not!"

"Just funnin' ya girl." Her smile softened, just a bit.

"That's why I've got extras." Kim said, rolling her eyes slightly.

* * *

Ron sat alone on the side of the road, every so often checking his watch. The bus was late, but not by too much, at least not yet. He told himself that he would have to be patient. It was a long, winding road getting here from the nearest large town and there were plenty of reasons the vehicle could have been tied up.

It was just that he wanted to get this over with, patience or not.

_Where was that bus?

* * *

_

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney


	33. Part XXXIII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXIII**

* * *

It didn't matter if he had to fly coach, have his parents wire him some money, hop on a tramp steamer (did those still exist?) or actually start swimming once he reached the coast, Ron was going home. He had it up to a point some ten inches above his head (that's where his hand stopped when he said so) and he wasn't going to put up with it any more. Maybe he could figure out how to call Wade on his watch. So far, if it really had a full-function Kimmunicator in it, he couldn't for the life of him figure out how to work it. Somehow he started getting the impression it was an emergency device, though how that would do any good if he had to call out for help, he had not clue.

He was seriously thinking of smashing it with a rock so at least the emergency damage function would alert Wade. If he could squeeze that into such a small device. Of course he could, he managed to put one inside a class ring/miniature laser before, certainly he could do it with a clunky old watch.

Nooni was nowhere to be seen when he returned to the dojo. Somehow he half expected that. He also suspected that if questioned about it she would deny that any of this had even happened.

He was plainly furious. It was plain to him that Sensei must have known about Nooni's abilities. In all likelihood that stone had been his all along. The old man had withheld that and if the cook had not taken pity on him there's no telling what may have happened to Kim.

He stomped up to the doors of Sensei's private chambers, his way blocked by a rather unassuming boy he had come to know as Hayata.

"Master Sensei cannot see you now, Outsider." He said, holding his hand up, palm out.

"What did you just call me?" Ron hissed. He could feel his rage growing, along with something else tickling the back of his mind.

"My apologies, Stoppable-san. I did not wish to offend you. It is only that you are not a regular part of this school."

"Somebody else liked calling me that. Kind of makes me wonder just how everybody sees me here. Now get out of my way." Ron growled, his eyes narrowing at the slightly younger boy.

"I cannot allow you to enter like this." Hayata said, stepping in front of him again, his palm up.

Ron grabbed the boy by the wrist, his hand like a clamp of iron. With a jerk he pulled the young student ninja out of his way, sending him sprawling across the corridor. Then he almost tore the paper screens as he shoved the twin panels aside.

Yori was kneeling in front of Sensei, looking quite sad and forlorn.

"Stoppable-san, what is the meaning…"

"I'll tell you what the meaning of this is! Kim could have been killed or worse, all because you wouldn't lift a finger to do anything about it. What's more, I've been here two weeks and all you've done is fed me a line of garbage about how much you're doing for me, how much you're developing my power. So far all you've done is play games with her heart," He pointed at Yori. "and mine, for that matter. I'm her friend and I don't like my friends being treated that way."

"Stoppable-san." Yori interrupted quietly.

"What?" He said, scowling.

"Sensei has just explained to me what he did and why he was forced to do it. While it makes me sad, I understand it now. You must put your trust in him."

"Yori, I can't believe this. You're a human being and nobody deserves to be treated like this!"

"Stoppable-san!" Sensei barked, anger evident in his voice. "I will keep council of how I treat with my students, including you."

"Well, you know what? I'm sick to death of how you 'treat' with me! For all I care, you can take all this monkey crap and stuff it. I'm going back home to Kim and to people who love and respect me, instead of seeing me as just some kind of monkey powered lab rat."

"You may not leave." Sensei said quietly, his calm seemingly restored.

"I don't know if you've checked, but I'm an American citizen, I can come and go as I please." Ron said angrily. "So don't give me any more of this 'if I leave I undo so much' garbage. You've got no idea what I'm going through being here, and now if it hadn't been for somebody else's help, Kim might have gotten killed or even something worse happen to her, all because of your mysterious preoccupation with some ancient power I was forced to accept."

"You may be an American, but this is not America. This is the Yamanuchi school and here I am master. I will say it again. You will not leave."

"What are you going to do? Sic your Ninja boys on me? Prove once and for all what all this is really about? Don't give me any more bull about the purity of Ninjas and all that. You're all still trained to be assassins." Tears of anguish and rage started spilling from his eyes, along with rippling bits of blue light, light sparks of electrical current.

"You will take your crown as the Supreme Monkey Master." Sensei said, his voice booming, filling the room as he rose from his seat. "You will rule over all that is simian and you will set the world to right but you will never leave this school!"

"I'm leaving and I'm leaving right now!" Ron raged. The air around the crackled with blue light, the energy ripping through both of them. He held out his hand without quite knowing why then called out with his mind.

Somehow he half expected the Lotus Blade to come ripping through a wall to meet his hand. Instead it simply appeared there.

Sensei gaped. If it had not been obscured by his mustache and beard, they would have seen his mouth hanging open. He stared at the sword in Ron's hand. For just a moment it changed. It was still a sword yet somehow it was different. Then in a twinkling it was back to being the plain but perfect Lotus Blade though this time the transformation was not accompanied by the slight poof sound it normally made when changing.

Ron could feel the cool grip in his hand. This felt so right, almost like the connection he felt with Kim, though certainly not as deep as that feeling went. He could feel not only the power of the sword but his own power flowing through him and for the first time he truly understood it.

Tai Xing Pek Kwar was about so much more than simple Monkey Kung Fu. It really wasn't so much about monkeys and apes as he had once believed. It was a power tying the mystical side of all living things on Earth together. Human beings were included in that power but since most of them lived in a world where they could not accept such things, that power was shut off from them. That left the next creatures down the evolutionary ladder to come to the fore with the power, namely Apes and Monkeys (he also could perceive how Dolphins and Whales figured in the power, but they wanted no part of it, preferring to swim free in the oceans at peace and not trifle with such things.) Drawing on that power could give him great strength and it gave him control of the Lotus Blade.

It also told him that he was indeed the chosen one, but that his time would come.

Though not today.

The rage washed out of him, leaving him standing there holding the sword. Yet the power was still there. He shut it off, then let it come again, testing it over and over, like having a light switch in his mind he never even knew was there.

He turned and looked to see both Sensei and Yori bowing all the way down to the floor. Slowly the old master rose, Yori following suit afterwards.

"Stoppable-sama." He said quietly "I must now beg your forgiveness. What I have done, what you feel is so evil I have done leading to this moment. You have now succeeded in your mission, as have I."

"I…I don't understand." Ron said, looking at the simple yet perfect blade in his hand.

"Please, be seated." Sensei said, waving his hand at the floor in front of his dais.

Ron warily sat down, placing the sword in front of him on the floor as reverently as he could.

"Stoppable-san. Ron," The old master began. "I have manipulated you and Yori, all for the benefit of reaching this juncture. Am I mistaken that you now know how to access the power at will?"

"I think so." He said, mentally switching it on and off a couple more times. "That is so badical!"

"When you were here before, I witnessed your harnessing of the power against Fukushima. I realized that the only way you could tap into it was through your rage. While it was appropriate at the time, that is not how the power was intended to work. Instead I wanted you to find another way to gain access to it, which you did when you tapped into it to outrun Yori-san. The final step, however, was for you to realize the full potential of your gift and to do that you needed to feel true rage.

"I was fully aware of the danger your beloved Possible-san was in. I am also fully aware of how Nooni-san helped you go to her. I am aware of this because I told her to do so."

Ron's mouth hung open for a second. "Oh, so you were doing a 'good cop/bad cop' thing with me."

"You are correct, Stoppable-san. I needed you to be angry with me on such a fundamental level that you would bring your power completely to the fore. When you did so, you claimed full mastery of the Lotus Blade along with it."

"So, you're telling me you wouldn't have let anything happen to Kim? What, did you have some Ninjas ready to assist her if I couldn't?"

"No. I had complete faith in you to help her. The two of you are two halves of a whole, your connection is much greater than anyone can imagine. That is why I regret having to test that bond by using Yori-san. It is for that more than anything I must humbly ask for forgiveness from both of you."

"I have already given it." Yori said, bowing slightly toward her master. "You were willing to sacrifice your honor and my faith in order to fulfill your large mission. In that your honor is even greater and it is my honor that you had the faith in me and Ron-san we would both do the right thing."

"I never doubted either of you. That still did not mean your bond wouldn't have to be tested. I knew in my heart that Stoppable-san would remain true to his love and I knew in my heart that you would recognize this and finally understand it, Yori-chan. While I still regret having to use you so, I think it is well that you have come to such an understanding with him. You have made a better friend than you ever have before in your life, and that is something for you both to cherish. You do not have his heart romantically, but you know now that such wasn't possible for you."

"You are right, Sensei-sama. You see, Ron-san, why it is that I have forgiven him for his part. Now I ask that, at least for me but more importantly for you that you do so as well." She bowed slightly to Ron with the last.

Ron leaned forward, picking the Lotus Blade up once more. It instantly changed into a bo-staff, then to a pair of nunchuks. He grinned slightly, noting that the 'poof' sound was indeed gone and that it would take the form he willed it to instead of having to randomly scroll through them like he was channel surfing or something. Then he let the sword go back to its normal form.

He got up and walked right up to Sensei. He stood there for a moment, the sword gripped tightly in his hand. Then he kneeled down and reverently held the sword up to Sensei as he had seen heroes do for their liege lords in samurai movies.

"Sensei-sama, it is I, Ron Stoppable, who should be the one asking for forgiveness. I foolishly believed you didn't know what you were doing and now I understand that it was your wisdom that has led me to this point."

The old master took the sword, then handed it to Yori, who took it carefully with the folds of her gi. She hurriedly departed to return it to its protected shrine.

"Rise, Stoppable-san. You may be forgiven if you forgive me first." He said as the boy rose. For just a moment he could see the boy in the full flower of his adulthood, a couple inches taller still, his body more filled out, his face leaner. Ron would never be 'ripped' as he put it, but he was going to be very impressive in his own right. Then he was back to normal. The boy was actually quite far along the road to that point, but he had just a little more growing to do. "Can you forgive an old man his arrogance?"

"Of course. I…I just don't know what to say."

"You have already said it. Now, we must begin at once training you to control the power. Accessing it and using it wisely are two completely different things."

"So, you want me to train with the sword? Do drills using the power for sparring?"

"No, Stoppable-san. I want you to go down to my stone garden, find a rake and create your own pattern."

"That's all? I don't get it. How is that supposed…?"

He stopped when he realized he was falling back on the same gripe he had before.

As he waited for the bus he smiled thinking about his 'gardening skills.' Whoever had done the garden before used all sorts of random swirly things. It looked pretty, he had to admit, but it just lacked something, a certain oomph.

When he was done he set Yori to giggling and Sensei rolling his eyes. From the wooden bridge overlook they could see the final results of his first attempt at Japanese rock gardens. The first thing that drew the eye was something they both thought was an American raccoon at first, until Yori realized it was actually the Fearless Ferret emblem, having seen it in Ron's home and adorning his scooter.

There was also a pattern that looked messy until you stood back a little and realized it was supposed to be a Naco.

What dominated the whole affair, however, was the large heart he had raked in the center of the garden. Inside the heart were great big letters. K P + R S.

As the small bus pulled up he wondered how long Sensei would leave his garden like that. Not long, he was sure. It was indeed supposed to teach you harmony and all that sort of stuff and he didn't think a giant graffiti heart was too good for the old man's harmony.

What Ron didn't realize was how wrong he was. The garden was left like that for some months to come, until he had the need to use it for teaching purposes once more, when he sadly returned it to the more traditional patterns he was accustomed to. Later, using a digital photograph he had taken (Sensei was much more modern than many gave him credit for being) he returned the garden to an approximation of Ron's pattern.

A little more than a week ago Ron had been ready to meet one of these vehicles to take him away from the school, most likely forever. Now he was looking forward to this last week of training, his desire to complete it starting to outweigh his desire to get home to Kim, though not completely. Yori's stolen smooch aside, he hadn't had a long, satisfying kiss in more than three weeks now and he was feeling deprived. He was even starting to consider giving in to Kim's willingness to take their physical relationship to a new level.

All such thoughts were dashed as he caught sight of the scowling young woman stepping off the bus. She was carrying two standard suitcases which was a far sight less than what Ron had shown up here with the first time, but she was not going to be happy lugging them up the steep trail to Yamanuchi.

Then again, it seemed that Bonnie Rockwaller was already far less than happy.

"Oh, it figures they would send you out to meet me. At least you speak English." She said, looking him up and down with obvious disdain.

"Bon-bon. I thought you wanted to come here so bad." He said, holding out his hand in a gentlemanly fashion to help her down to the ground. She took the proffered hand as if she expected no less.

"That's before I found out this school of yours is out here in the sticks. I thought I was, like, going to be able to pop into Tokyo or something. Some place neat. Instead I just spent three hours on a bus without a single person who speaks a civilized language…"

"I think I'd be a little careful talking about civilized, Bonnie. They had a refined culture while we were still running around the forests of Europe. Oh, and there is the fact most of them do speak English. They're probably having a real good laugh at your expense right now."

She glared at him. "Okay, so where is it? Was it that village we passed a couple miles back? Or is it back in the woods someplace?"

"Actually, it's right there." He pointed to the ridge crest where the school sat. The mists were too thick to actually see it today anyhow, even though he knew what to look for.

"Then why didn't the bus take me there? How are we supposed to get there? Don't tell me they let you borrow Hirotaka's motorcycle. I am so not letting you drive me up that mountain, no matter how much you drive K around on that old wreck of yours."

"Um, no Bonnie. Hiro's bike is actually in a garage back in that village you passed. They don't let him keep it at the school."

"So, how are we getting there?"

Ron picked up her suitcases and started across the road. "It will, of course, be our honor to walk." He said, not quite able to keep the laughter out of his voice.

* * *

A pair of dark, almond shaped eyes followed the two teens. Perfect. It was now time to spring his trap.

The fool _Outsider_ wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	34. Part XXXIV

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXIV**

* * *

"Just how far is this supposed to be?" Bonnie snarled, hobbling along in her flats. The trail was rather rocky and she was well past regretting wearing those particular shoes. She could wear high heels for hours at a time, but that was on even ground like the mall or school. This, however…

"Just a few miles. We'll be there in no time." Ron said cheerfully, not even winded despite carrying the two (heavy) suitcases for her.

"A few miles? Okay, that's it!" She sat down on the side of the trail, crossing her arms and glaring at Ron.

_Oh, this was going to be a riot_ Ron thought, grinning at her.

"Well, you can sit here all you want, Bon-bon, but I'm willing to bet you're already getting a little hungry and the Master Lunch Lady, Nooni-san has been bringing me some bon-diggity good food while I've been here. Though, if you just want to sit here and stew, I guess I'll just run on ahead and have my own dinner."

"Why don't you do that, Stoppable and send down a car or something. I'm not budging."

"Suit yourself, but I'd take a look at the trail you're sitting on. They do things the traditional way up here and that means they don't use wheels. In ancient times the only vehicle that had wheels was a special carriage for the Emperor. Otherwise, wheels would do too much damage to the roads."

"Gee, thanks for the history lesson, Ron, but it's two thousand-five and nobody cares about that so go get me some transportation." She uncrossed then re-crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes even further at her blonde-haired tormentor.

"History or not, Bonnie, every single person up there at the school got there on foot. See, I'm also being a gentleman for you and carrying your stuff. I really don't mind." He hefted one of them. "See, I've actually got pecs."

"I'm thrilled. Should I alert the media or should I get some Band-Aids for those mosquito bites? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm thinking about K." She stood up and leaned a little closer to him. "Hmm, well, I'll be, you actually have a bigger chest than her now, though that's not saying much, is it?"

Ron shook his head and started up the trail. "I'll let that go because I know better." He said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Okay, whoa, TMI territory here." Despite herself she was following him up the trail. "The last thing I need to discuss is how you and K are smacking hips."

"You still on about that Bonnie? Has it occurred to you that some people are actually saving themselves for marriage? That maybe Kim and I are holding off on that?"

"I don't see why? Get with the twenty-first century, Stoppable."

"You first, oh Ice Queen." He said, shaking his head again.

Bonnie growled audibly, though at least he had her walking with him. She was going to be real fun when they got to the really steep stuff.

"So, now that I've kind of got you as a captive audience, why exactly are you here?" Ron asked, wrapping an arm around one of the suitcases. Improved stamina or not, he was going to be hurting by the time they got to the school, especially as long as Bonnie was taking on the trail.

"I got my name read by Barkin, it's an excuse to pass on Thanksgivings with Connie and Lonnie. I'll take it. Or I did before I knew we were going to be filming the Japanese version of 'Deliverance.'" She said testily.

"See, that's what I don't get. Kim and I were figuring having another student was just a ploy to bring Kim over here, see how we work together and all…"

"You mean so they could see how the two of you spend all your free time making out."

Ron let that slide, partially because it was true. "We were shocked when Barkin said your name but the most interesting thing is how you reacted. You sat there like you were the cat that ate the canary. Something is up and you know about it. You were expecting it."

"Okay, Ron, you've got me. Hirotaka and I have been secretly married and they have to get me up here for their fertility festival so we can consummate our love and start bearing sons."

He raised his eyebrow at her, considering what Kim told her the last time it was a distinct possibility.

"I'm so kidding. I only just turned eighteen, I'm not getting married for seven or eight years, if that soon."

"Gee, at this rate Bon-bon, you'll be lucky to have a guy by the time you're thirty." His bit his lip, wishing he hadn't said that. It literally was sinking to her level. He risked a look back at her, though her glare wasn't any different. No, it actually seemed a little softer, a little sadder. That only made him feel worse for saying it.

"Anyway, I just thought it was really cool to be picked. I have been exchanging letters with Hirotaka, maybe he put in a good word with this headmaster guy and he really does want to see me again."

Ron nodded. "That sounds good, but I don't think so."

"What, he's got a girlfriend there? Well, that's his prerogative, though he never mentioned anyone in his letters."

"No, Bonnie, I don't think it's that. There aren't too many girls at the school and they are so over fawning over him like sheep." Okay, that was another cut, but it was a wide shot that included anyone at Middleton High School of the female persuasion. "Once we get there, I think you're going to be a whole lot more confused. I know I was, at first."

"What, we're going to get there and you're going to reveal that the school is actually a super-secret Ninja training ground?"

"Uh…"

Bonnie stopped dead in her tracks. "You are kidding me, right? You are so kidding me."

Ron rubbed the back of his neck, staring up at the afternoon sky.

"Oh, now that's it then. They did mean to call your girlfriend and pick her brains on her 'sixteen kinds of kung-fu.'" She said, making air quotes. "Somebody must have switched the names or something. If you're telling me the truth…"

"I haven't told you anything, Bonnie."

"You didn't deny it either. I saw that look on your face when I said Ninja school. That's just the sort of whack thing you and K would get involved in. Just like that new boyfriend of hers she had temping while you were away. Turns out he's the son of one of those nasty freaks you fight and he wanted some payback."

"Won't work, Bonnie, cause I know all about Cary."

"Uh, how? Not that it matters, what matters is that she got into a car alone with him on Friday night and when has Kim ever passed up a chance to go out with you on Fridays, even before the two of you admitted you were dating?" She thought she'd twist the knife a little more. "I bet she really is the one who put him in the hospital, no matter what the police think."

Ron shook his head. Bonnie was desperately trying to play him. Why, he couldn't imagine. There they were, thousands of miles from home, further away from the nearest village than they were the school, two people who were generally rivals if not outright enemies yet she still was trying to battle for supremacy by cutting the legs out from under her opponent.

Then it dawned on him, she was deflecting attention from the real matter at hand.

"Yeah, switching the names does make a lot of sense. Maybe it was supposed to be Kim but Cary wanted to keep her there for as long as he could while I was gone so he could try something. Too bad he didn't figure on what Kim and I have."

"What do you have, loser? A semi-hottie who can't get dates with normal guys who settles for you until she can actually find somebody better?"

"See, Bonnie, that's where you don't get it. You think that by cutting the two of us down, you build yourself up. Does it even matter that you are a smokin' hottie by yourself?"

"You think I'm hot?"

"S'ha! At least until you open your mouth. See, Kim's a hottie cause she looks that way, cause she acts that way, cause she's Kim. You, on the other hand, just poison what God gave you with your…witchiness. Oh, and for your information, I've got a bon-diggity girlfriend, she's got me, we're probably going to spend the rest of our lives together. She's got me doing things I never thought I'd be able to do…and no, not dirty things like you're thinking of. Then let's see, you haven't had a steady boyfriend since Brick dumped you for good last spring, you scare off most of the guys and, oh, by the way you even had the bad-guy calling you that-which-rhymes-with-witch. I guess if I really am a loser then it's pure PKB."

"Okay, I don't talk like that Jenkins girl." Bonnie said testily.

"Pot calling the Kettle Black. If I'm a loser, then you're an even bigger one."

"Fine. You're not a loser. You're still weird and so is your girlfriend."

"That's okay with me. Never be normal is my motto!" He proclaimed, trying to hold a hand to his chest and raising the other, though the effect was partially ruined by the two suitcases. "You know, Bonnie, soft side luggage with carrying straps is so this century."

She grinned at him. "I don't care. Do you see me hauling them up this mountain?"

He gave her a look that said she just might be doing that, but he didn't want to risk her sitting down again, especially considering what he had noticed over the last mile of trail.

Bonnie must have noticed as well. "So, are these super-secret ninjas in the habit of spying on everyone who climbs this trail?"

"You see him too? Cool, I thought I was the only one. Either they don't teach them to spot things like this up there, or they've been playing me, but every time I've been on this road somebody's been shadowing me. He's good, too but not good enough since I've seen him. Maybe he's getting sloppy since you saw him."

"So, what's the deal?"

"I'm not sure. First couple times I thought he might be somebody I know. Couple years ago there was one student who really had it in for me. Turned out it wasn't just me, he betrayed the whole school to Monkey Fist."

"Ug, more freaks." Bonnie said testily.

"Well, the more I thought about it, the more I realized he wasn't going to be around. He's probably still in a lock-up down in Belize from the last time we spanked the Monkey."

"You what?" Bonnie shrieked.

"Uh, that came out wrong."

"Ye-ah." She shook her head at him.

"So, somebody said something to me last week that got me to thinking. Turns out the guy had a little brother, a brother who is still at the school. So now I'm thinking Kim's not the only one with vengeful family members out for blood." Ron stopped and turned around, facing a stand of trees bracketing the trail behind them. "Isn't that right, Hayata?"

Bonnie turned and looked where Ron was. She blinked and realized she was looking directly at a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a ninja-suit of mottled greens and tans.

What neither of them had noticed before was that he was actually armed. The short, straight sword of the ninja was not the quality weapon as the samurai's katana, but it was still deadly. With modern metal working techniques, it was still a practical, efficient weapon.

"Weren't you supposed to be on a bus for Middleton?" Ron asked.

"I will not be going to your miserable town, outsider. I have remained so I may regain my brother's lost honor, was well as the honor lost by Sensei when you defied him. I care not what sway you have with him, you have polluted our way of life."

"Come off it, man. That kind of 'tude got your big brother's butt whupped, on several separate occasions I might add."

Bonnie looked at the boy, then back to Ron. The latter had an odd smile on his face and had yet to put down the two suitcases. What was he doing? He might be a huge buffoon, but he was the one accustomed to fighting, why wasn't he doing anything?

"You will pay for your insolence, Gaijin dog!" Hayata screamed as he attacked, sword held high.

Bonnie cringed as the razor sharp weapon descended, sure it was going to split Ron's head in two. Instead he casually leaned to the side, letting the weapon pass harmlessly.

They continued their dance. Hayata would attack and Ron would sidestep or duck or twist just so, always just enough so he was not touched. It was a study of grace in motion. She would have been more shocked if she had not seen such a display before.

Back when Brick tried to beat up Hirotaka.

Only, this time it involved a deadly weapon, not a jealous boyfriend. One slip, one miscalculated move and Ron was going to be hurt or worse.

Ron was weird, not the best looking guy in the world and was curiously immune to her barbs. He had only gained his meager status on the food chain by climbing on the coattails of his girlfriend. The boy was the exact opposite of everything she stood for.

Yet, in that instant, she found she really did not want to see him hurt. At least physically.

"Haieeeeee-YAH!" she screamed as she threw the best punch she ever had. Hayata was so intent on Ron that he never saw it coming until it connected with a nerve cluster in his neck. He went down like a sack of potatoes.

Ron looked at her, new appreciation in his eyes. "Where did that come from Bon-bon?"

She shook her hand, understanding why it was that Kim almost always wore gloves while on a mission. "Ballet isn't the only think I've been studying for more than a decade. Where do you think I got to all summer? Ballet camp? I think not."

"You mean?"

"I was at Karate camp. Got my black-belt. Sure came in handy when miss-perfect decided to nail me last summer. If she'd landed that one square I'd have been in the hospital and your precious girlfriend would have been in jail instead of nursing bruised knuckles."

"Oh." He said, pursing his lips and silently whistling.

He walked up to Bonnie and handed her the two suitcases.

"What are you doing, I'm not carrying these the rest of the way just because I saved your butt."

"Bon-bon, first off, I was handling H-boy right here just fine until you got impatient. Secondly, I can't carry your luggage and him, so if you don't want to carry it, I suggest you find a nice safe place to stash it and hope you like wearing a gi without a thong under it."

She growled and hefted her bags, trailing off behind them. Ron simply picked up the boy after tossing the sword and several other hidden weapons into the woods and threw him over his shoulder.

"Hey, wait a minute. How did you know what kind of underwear I had on?"

"I didn't, but I do now." Ron said cheerfully as they climbed.

Ron found thinking about Bonnie to be pleasant for once, imagining her backside under the tight slacks she was wearing. He had to admit it looked fantastic even with them on. He wasn't lying when he said he considered her a huge babe. Hey, he was a guy, he could respect certain things. Didn't mean he was even half considering kissing her or anything like that.

Still, what really dominated his mind was seeing her as a competent fighter. Was that the reason, or part of the reason she had been called here? Or had there really been a switch in the names and he was now missing out on some potential quality time with Kim?

He had another good hour to puzzle those things out as they made their way to the school.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	35. Part XXXV

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXV**

* * *

Kim sat alone in the office waiting. She was wearing what amounted to her 'business mission' clothing, a dark green dress skirt and a black long-sleeve blouse. It seemed appropriate somehow for this meeting. It seemed all the more so now that she was there, waiting for the office's occupant to return and begin their visit in earnest. 

She had been in this office a number of times now, more so in the last few months after she was invited to come with Ron on a regular basis. Yet, here she was and Ron was still in Japan and would be for another week. She wished earnestly he was there, at least to hold her hand. There wasn't any logical reason she should be frightened of this meeting but it felt for all the world like she had been called to the principal's office, a feeling made all that more palpable by the very few times that had actually happened to her in her academic career.

As a near-straight-A student whose great stab at youthful rebellion was wearing belly baring crop-tops year round there never really had been any reason for her to be called on the carpet for some reason or another but when she was her heart would race like a champion horse. It was one more thing where it was hammered home to her that she was not the one in charge, though it often manifested itself in her cowering in front of her superiors.

That feeling would not leave her, though she tried her best to banish if from her mind as she waited. This man had been nothing at all but a total friend to her and Ron and there was no cause to fear him.

Was there?

She bit her lower lip ever so slightly as she looked at her watch. He wasn't late, she was still slightly early, but it still felt like an eternity waiting there alone like that.

Kim found she very much did not like being alone, especially lately. Had she become so dependent on Ron's company?

She wasn't kept waiting long. In fact, Rabbi Katz entered his office about a minute ahead of schedule.

"Good afternoon, Kimberly. I'd ask you how you're doing but that cast on your ankle seems to indicate you might have to tell me a polite lie." He shook her hand before taking a seat in front of his desk, right across from where she was sitting on the couch. It was the same place he always sat when he was 'officially' counseling the couple. Other times when they'd met him there, he always sat behind the desk, leaning on his elbows and steepling his fingers.

"It's no big, Rabbi. I'm supposed to have it off in a couple days, then I'll just have to wear a light brace. I heal really fast, you know."

"It's, how do you say it? Most def good to be young. Fast healing is a great thing, especially in your line of work."

That gave her slight pause to think. In all her scrapes, in all the fights, in all the years she had been doing this she had never actually broken a bone or suffered anything worse than some bruises of split ends (what was it with the villains and their electric powered thingamabobs?) Now she had nearly broken her leg and it wasn't even a real mission. More of a kidnapping.

_Kim_, she told herself, _it was every bit, one hundred percent a kidnapping._ Though somehow she kept falling back into the thinking that it had actually been a mission and she had only been in the same kind of physical danger she always had been.

It was no big. She was Kim Possible and that sort of thing happened to her all the time.

"That was something else, that boy from school turning out to be who he was."

"Yeah, something else." Kim repeated, starting to become uncomfortable again. "Um, Rabbi, why is it exactly you wanted to see me today? I know it's our usual day but since Ron was off in Japan…"

He smiled softly at her, the expression seeming even more gentle in nature framed by his long, thick beard. "Kim, I don't need to see both of you together every single time to help you when you need it. In fact there might be some things we'll discuss as the two of you become real adults that I might want to do one-on-one anyway, but that's getting ahead of things, most likely way ahead of things considering some of the thoughts the two of you have shared with me in our past sessions."

"Uh, yeah, sure." She said, biting her lower lip again.

"So, I guess I really do have to ask you that question. How are you doing, Kim?"

"Spankin!" She replied instantly. "Ron's going to be home in a week and we'll be together for the rest of the holidays and…"

He shook his head slowly, lowering his eyes slightly for just a moment. "No, I don't mean how are you going to be. How are you right now, Kimberly?"

"What do you mean? I feel pretty good. My ankle aches a bit but I think that's more because of this heavy cast."

It was Katz' turn to bite his lower lip. He was about to tread into things he almost wished he didn't suspect, all on the basis of another friendship. "Kim, what I mean is, how do you feel about yourself, especially after last Friday?"

Kim stared at him, blank faced, her mouth slightly open.

The Rabbi nodded and looked away from her for a moment. "A good friend of mine invited me to play golf with him yesterday afternoon after Temple services. Normally I really enjoy his company, but there was something on his mind, something he both wanted to talk about and to keep to himself. Turns out he was frightened, very frightened about something."

She just nodded, as if to say _go on_.

"He's got a daughter. Strong, independent girl. Can take on the world in a heartbeat. Now, a few times over the last couple nights or so, he wakes up in the middle of the night to a sound he never thought he would hear. That sound was his daughter screaming incoherently in her sleep. Now, given what I know about this girl, I somehow don't think that has happened very much before, despite all the horrible things she has faced.

"That tells me that maybe she's faced something new, something bad she just doesn't have all the right tools to deal with, maybe something so bad there is no good and complete way to deal with it, at least at first. Am I making any sense to you, Kim?"

Her chin went up and down once, slowly.

Katz nodded once more and rubbed his forehead, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Kimberly. First, let me tell you, anything you decide to tell me is not going to leave this room on my lips. I tell you this before God. But I think there are some other issues that might not have been in the police report."

"Rabbi, like I said, it was no big. He turned into a bad guy and I took him down before he could hurt me."

"Then why are you looking at me with fear in your eyes like I was holding a gun to your head?" He asked earnestly.

She blinked maybe two or three times, realizing she was actually starting to shiver.

"Okay, now it makes me feel a good bit better that you said you took him out before he could hurt you, but that just means the damage I'm seeing didn't come from his hands. You already told me in counseling that the first time you met him, you were physically attracted to him." He didn't expect her to answer, but the slight look of revulsion that crossed her face momentarily provided it for him. "Did he, in any way, attempt to do more than…let's say hurt you in normal ways?"

"He…he…" Her voice trailed off in a whisper.

"It's okay, Kim. This is just between you and me. I might have to tell you to talk to some more people, but that's going to be up to you. For your sake and for Ron's sake and for all your loved-one's sakes, you need to get this out in the open and deal with it."

Kim closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Just thinking about it she could feel the simultaneous burning heat and icy touch of Carrion's lips on her neck, hearing him whisper those words in her ear.

"Carrion…"

"Is that what he's calling himself? I thought it was Cary."

"I'm sorry, I won't dignify him with that name any more. The person I thought was Cary, who I thought was a friend doesn't exist."

"Go on."

"He said he was out to get his revenge for what I did to his father. In reality all I did was help capture him one more time, something Team Go has done repeatedly over the years. He even said what his father wanted him to do was to give me a sort of bloody nose."

"Somehow I think this turned far worse than that." He stated, waiting for her to go on.

"Ferociously worse. Rabbi, I think right along with actually wanting to physically beat me up, I think his intention was to…he…"

"He was going to sexually assault you." He said finally, frowning through his beard.

"It wasn't just that. Everything he did seemed to revolve around that. He took the simple revenge his father wanted and twisted it into some perverse mission that first involved seducing me. Then he got me drunk at a party and if it hadn't been for Ron…well, you see what he was planning there. Then Friday night he literally said he was going to take a little bit of what Ron was having. I know Ron hasn't really been having that, but he meant he was going to…if I wasn't so well trained in martial arts…"

Kim was shaking so hard she had to sit on her hands. Never, in all the years, against what she thought was some of the most heinous evil on the face of the Earth had anyone ever actually threatened that. Sure, some of her villains had been attracted to her, specifically Junior, but that was different. That was honest and actually a bit flattering. What Cary had threatened was…revolting.

A sick feeling rolled through the pit of her stomach. A discussion she had with her mother a few years ago was coming back to her. Anne Possible has started her on birth control when she was nearly fifteen, right when the missions had started changing in character from outright helping people to fighting villains. In her mind, at the time, her focus was on clearing up her skin and evening out her cycle but her mother had mentioned the possibility she would one day run into just this sort of situation and at least that would offer some measure of protection, at least in one aspect.

In all the time that had passed since then she hadn't thought about that again. Sickness and anger mixed in her body.

She could feel those hated lips on her throat again. She didn't want that. She wanted Ron's warm lips there.

That thought froze in her mind.

_What was she going to feel when Ron kissed her there? What if Ron did something tender like he always did, to walk up behind her and gently lift her hair and deftly place a tiny, light kiss on her neck?_

"Kim, there's a whole lot going on here. Like I said, it's good nothing physical happened, but you're dealing with a threat that in all honesty, I think is even beyond what I can do to help you with. I think it may be a really good idea for you to talk to your mother and see if she can recommend a professional, at least to talk to. That boy not only threatened to do those things, but he pretended to be your friend. There's also a certain element of betrayal involved. Alone I don't think it would have hurt you like this, but as it is, it's just more salt in the wound.

"Tell me something, Kimberly…Kim. I've always liked the understanding the two of you have come to concerning physical love…have you recently considered changing that understanding?"

She just nodded numbly at him. It had seemed so clear last Saturday morning when she was talking to Monique. It was like the morning after any other mission.

Yet there she was eating a whole quart of ice cream, growling at her Mom when she tried to stop her and proclaiming to Monique that she was finally going to go all the way with Ron.

Why did that all seem so childish now?

Correctly reading what she was thinking, Katz said "Denial ain't just a river Moses turned to blood." He pulled a tissue from his box. Kim wasn't blubbing yet, but the tears had been flowing down her face and her nose was just starting to run.

"We've talked in the past how when things get a little rough between you and Ron, you tend to get even more physical with him. It's how you react to things. In his case, I think he enjoys that and it helps smooth things between you, but this time I think you were just trying to mask what you were feeling, probably not even consciously. Like I said, you really need to talk to somebody who's a lot more qualified to deal with this sort of thing. But, for right now, I think you really shouldn't be making any plans with Ronald beyond what the two of you might normally do. If you did more now it would be out of the wrong kind of need and that's not the kind of celebration of love it's supposed to be. I know the way you love him and you know that just wouldn't be right or fair, now would it."

"I guess not." She sobbed. "Rabbi, what if I punch him out the first moment he touches me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Then I'd say you need a lot more professional help at the moment than I'm even suggesting, but the fact you recognize that as a possibility should be enough of a red flag for you. Look, I'm not sure if you're even aware of what's been happening to you at night, but the screaming alone should be enough. Now, are you going to get some help?"

"Does it mean you won't be able to help afterwards?" She asked, rubbing her nose with the tissue.

"Heaven's no, Kimberly. How you deal with something like this in faith is just as important as how you deal with it in science. Now, let's talk about something on a little happier vein." He tried smiling at her.

The sight of his beard twitching up at the edges made her giggle slightly. Last summer, when he first entered their lives as both Ron's spiritual leader and their couple's counselor, Monique had described him as having a ZZ Top beard. When she first met him she thought he was part of one of the more traditional sects of th Jewish faith, but after getting to know him she began to think that was highly unlikely. One look at the way he let his daughter, Phoebe, dress at school told you that.

"What are your plans for when Ronald gets home?"

"Well, I think, first off, we're just going to have some good quality time to be alone and talk about things."

"That sounds real good, Kimberly, but aren't you going to kiss him first?"

"Oh yeah." She said, smiling again though her cheeks were still a bit wet.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	36. Part XXXVI

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXVI**

* * *

The final week of Ron's second stay at Yamanuchi turned out to be some of the best fun he had since being in Japan. So many things that had once seemed impossible for him now came naturally. Of course, no mere three weeks of training, Mystical Monkey power notwithstanding, would make him the equal to even most of the novices there, but at least he wasn't making an utter and complete fool of himself any more either.

Bonnie, on the other hand, was a blast to watch her first full day there.

Sensei and Yori greeted them at the gates. Both were openly dismayed at Hayata's attack on Ron, though it seemed to grieve Sensei especially so. His betrayal hit the old man very hard since he had openly trusted the boy's professions he was not going to foolishly follow in his older brother's footsteps. With nothing else he could do at this juncture, he ordered the boy cared for until he recovered, then he would be banished from the school forever.

Ron understood that was all they could do to him, save some permanent means none had any wish to employ. They certainly couldn't turn him over to the region's authorities. That sort of this just was not done by secret schools.

That matter handled, they turned their attention to their new guest. "Rockwaller-san. Welcome to the Yamanuchi school. I trust Stoppable-san has enlightened you to the true purpose of the school?"

"You mean he really wasn't kidding about this being a ninja school? You people are really training to be some kind of super-sneaky assassins and such? Funny, I don't see anyone sneaking around in black tights." She said, her hands on her hips, which where thrust forward and slightly to one side, making her look like she was standing with a slight slouch.

"That is son, Rockwaller-san. We train students in the ancient arts of Ninjitsu, which does indeed involve being 'super-sneaky.'" He nodded toward both teens. "I would be pleased if the two of you would join me for dinner tonight."

"I, sure, super, soon as I can get out of these nasty clothes and…"

"We would be most honored to accept." Ron said, cutting her off, executing a slight bow.

Sensei nodded and walked away. Yori gave Ron a warm smile herself before excusing herself.

"What was that about? You going native or something?" Bonnie said, her hands on her hips.

"These people like formalities. It's just being polite." He said, picking up her suitcases once more.

"Fine. All I want right now is a nice hot bath and some clean clothes." She griped, trudging along after Ron in the ruin of her designer shoes. Somebody was getting that taken out of their hide. They were _Doña Coronas_ for goodness sake! Elsa Kleeg, the style maven herself wore them!

Ron led her down the corridor that led to the student rooms. He led her to the sliding door right next door to his. "This is it, Chez Bonnie for the next six nights!" He said, nodding toward the shoji.

"Um, where?" she shrugged. "All I see is more wall."

He rolled his eyes and set one of the suitcases down so he could open the door for her.

"Alright, so that's my closet. Where's my room?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"That is your room, Bon-bon."

"Where's the bed? Where's the dresser?" She gripped the front of his sweatshirt. "Where is the shower?"

"Oh, didn't you know? The bath house is the small building right out the end of the corridor right there. Better hurry, cause most of the novice level classes are going to dismiss soon and you'll have a hard time getting a spot." He grinned, knowing she didn't have a clue to what was awaiting her.

"Grrrrr. Fine. Just, don't think us going to dinner with the headmaster is any kind of date or anything. He invited both of us so it's just the two of us going…separately." She added.

"Oh, I wouldn't think of it. Besides, I've already got a date."

"You what? Oh, never mind, I'm never going to understand you. Just don't let me be late or anything, okay?"

"I wouldn't dream of it Bonnie. If you need me, I'll be right next door." He pointed over his shoulder at his cell.

She looked at him, then at the room, then back to him. She touched the wall gently, prodding the paper glued to the thin lath-work. "You mean to tell me I've got to spend the next week sleeping with only a paper wall separating the two of us?" She asked icily.

"Yeah, though I know it's just sick and wrong."

"You got that right."

"I mean, I remember how Kim described your snoring at the last cheer camp."

"I…don't…snore…Ron." She growled back at him.

"We'll see. Guess we'll also see if this paper wall is enough for you to resist this much man." He teased as he shut his own door.

He listened to her for a while as he started laying out what he would need that evening. The proper attire would still be a fresh white training gi. Other students would attend to Bonnie's needs that way.

With a grin he grabbed a pair of board shorts out of his pack and quickly changed into them before heading off to the bath house to quickly wash away his own trail-grime.

This should be fun!

* * *

Bonnie was not happy. Not in the least. She had gone into the bath house expecting it to be just like the ones at Camp Gottagrin and here at least she wouldn't have Kim beating her there to take all the hot water.

Instead she found a chamber with a vat of water, several buckets and a number of scrubbing items. Also there waiting for her was the girl who had been waiting for them at the gate with the headmaster.

"Good evening, Rockwaller-san. I have brought you the clothing you are to wear tonight."

"Um, thanks. Aren't you the girl who Ron ran off with last spring?"

"Stoppable-san assisted me in rescuing Sensei. He is a great warrior-hero." She said reverently.

"Ron? We're talking Ron Stoppable?" She stood there a moment in utter disbelief. "You people are so weird." She said finally. "So, where are the showers?"

"I am sorry, Rockwaller-san, but we do not have showers here. Do you have questions about a Japanese bath?"

After getting the girl to explain the process to her twice (she didn't have any trouble understanding the girl since her English was flawless, she just couldn't believe what she was hearing)she eventually got the nerve to strip out of her robe and scrubbed herself down. By the time she doused herself twice with the lukewarm water she was shivering cold. It was actually far colder here than it was at home and Colorado did tend to have some cold winters.

Weirdness aside, the thought of a nice hot soak in a big deep tub would feel good. Too bad it didn't have any water jets like the Jacuzzi tub in her bathroom at home. Six nights of this, she told herself, then it was back home to the relatively normal life she led there.

A wave of steam hit her in the face as she went through the screen. Closing her eyes she breathed it in, letting it clear her head. Mindful of Ron's warning that other students would soon be here to use the communal bath, she knew she would not have long, but it was going to be so relaxing. She set her robe down on the bench and turned back toward the large tub.

That's when she noticed the blonde-haired mop of hair there hanging over the edge. Ron had his arms stretched out to each side and his head was way back, his eyes shut.

"Come on it, Bonnie, the water's nice and hot. I promise, I'll keep my eyes shut the…"

"I…am…not…getting…in…there…with…you!" Bonnie shrieked. "I don't care if you're blindfolded and your hands are tied behind your back. Now get out of here so I can finish my bath!" She pointed at the door with a perfectly manicured nail.

"Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie. This is Japan, this is how they do thing here." He chided, still not moving from his spot. "Besides, I had to climb the same trail you did and I needed a bath too."

Suddenly aware she was standing right out in the open without a stitch on Bonnie grabbed at her robe, holding it in front of her body. "Ron, I'm not Japanese and neither are you, now if you know what's good for you you'll get out of that water right now or I'll show you just how much Karate I do know, so help me God!"

"Okay, okay. Guess there's too much Ron-man for you to handle." He pulled his arms in and stood up suddenly, turning toward her to collect a towel.

Bonnie shrieked again, as she had been facing him directly. Then she noticed the blue swimming trunks he had on. Her eyes went wide.

He knew he would beat her in there!

"I'm telling Kim about all this when we get home." She snarled. "And I'm telling her about this 'date' thing too."

"Good." He said, putting down the towel and slipping his sandals back on. "It'll be nice to have somebody get my back when I tell her everything that went on here." He made an exaggerated attempt to check her out as he went by, causing her free hand to dart around to cover anything that was visible that she didn't want to be.

"Dang, Bon-bon. No tan lines, I'm impressed." He laughed as he left.

The next morning the fun began all over again. Ron was really appreciating the humor the other students has seen in his predicament before. At least when the morning gong went off, she didn't come ripping through the wall, forgetting it was even there.

No, Ron had to actually go in there and shake her just a little bit. That didn't seem to help. She just kept sawing logs right there on the mat, her eyes covered in a sleeping mask. Kim certainly had been right about her nocturnal vocalizations.

Finally he thought of something along the lines of how the Tweebs would wake him up. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Kate Spade half off at Saks, today only."

Bonnie sat bolt upright in her bed. He had to admit she looked so cute in her flannel pajamas, with little kittens printed all over them.

She was in considerably better shape than he had been the first time but she was far from prepared for what they put her through. They started with a traditional run on the Dragon course. Ron and Yori hung back to keep an eye on the new student, both of them exchanging smiles at the stream of choice invective coming from the heavily tanned brunette.

Later, when she realized just how much of her was visible in a sweat-soaked white gi, she became utterly and totally mortified. At least until Ron pointed out that nobody seemed to care. Well, that wasn't entirely true. The outfit did tend to hug her curves more than any other woman there and almost the entire male student body was jockeying for a chance to get a glimpse of her.

At weapons training she almost knocked herself out with a pair of nunchuks.

Her grasp of a ninja's ability to disappear, to literally hide in plain sight was very similar to Ron's his first time out. At least she didn't try hiding behind a potted plant, she just stood there wondering just where everybody else had gone.

He made certain to be right behind her in line for lunch that first day. His smile nearly split his head in two as he watched her trying to snatch a morsel from Nooni. Then he watched her astonishment as he caught a choice piece (with tasty, smoky eel!) on the first pass.

When it came to martial arts practice, though, that's where she very definitely outshone Ron. Where he had only succeeded before by accidentally calling on the Monkey Power, she already had the skill to break boards with her bare hands, so splitting logs was not so difficult when she was shown the proper technique.

As much fun as it had been watching her discomfort at first, something odd started happening as the week progressed. Her barbs at him became fewer and fewer and she actually spent some time talking to him. He didn't quite understand why, but she was certainly far more pleasant to be around.

Bonnie also found a friend, surprisingly in Yori. The two ended up speaking for hours on end, though about what, he didn't have a clue. (What little conversation he did catch didn't make a lick of sense to him – it may have been technically in English, but they were speaking 'girl-eze')

The last night, however, was the biggest surprise of them all.

They spent it together, sitting side by side on the stone bench in the courtyard, looking at the night sky, talking about school, about what they were going to do with their lives in a few months when school was over. Ron knew to steer clear of talking about Kim too much. Bonnie was turning out to be a very lonely person he knew that kind of thing might be like salt in the wound.

"You know, the moment our plane lands Tuesday it's all going back to normal." She said, still staring at the stars.

"I kinda figured that. Guess you've got to keep up appearances." Ron replied, looking down at Bonnie for a change.

She met his gaze. "Yeah. Something like that. Maybe it shouldn't be, but I don't know how to do that."

"Do what?"

"Be your friend. I never really noticed how cool a guy you are."

"Uh…thanks." He said, more than a little surprised at hearing the 'f' word coming from her lips. "You sure you haven't been checking up on my trust fund or something?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "No. It's just…wait, you've got a trust fund?"

"Yeah. It's nothing like that first Naco check, especially considering how much of the company Drakken blew away, but last time I looked…well, if I turned twenty-one today then I could probably buy you another ruby belt buckle." He looked back up at the stars.

"Wow. I called you a friend and I thought you were still poor." Her eyes narrowed again. "Okay, what have these people done to me? This isn't me! Tell me, Ron, just what did they do?"

He sat down on the ground, putting his hands behind his head and leaned back against the bench. Bonnie had a sudden wild urge to play with the little tuft of hair sticking up on the back of his head.

"Maybe it's just spending a week getting a full-strength dose of the Ron-shine." He said. "Or maybe it's just spending some time away from all your posse and just being yourself. I don't know, Bonnie. It does make me kinda happy and it doesn't really have end when we go back. Don't know how Kim would take it."

She shook her head, actually catching her fingers mere inches from his cowlick. She was starting to get some inkling of what Kim saw and that actually frightened her. "No, I don't think that will work. When we get back, I'll be right back with my old peeps and you'll be joined at the hip with Kim again. Even if we tried, we'd still just go back to our old habits."

"You're probably right." He said sadly. "Hey, it's getting pretty close to the morning gong. We've got a little packing to do. Well, you might. All my stuff's already crammed into my pack."

"I am so not looking forward to hiking down that mountain." She whined.

"At least it will go quicker." He shrugged, getting up.

Bonnie stood as well, suddenly grabbing him for a tight hug that lasted many minutes.

"Listen. All this stuff, can it be our little secret?" she pleaded quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I already made a promise to KP that I'd tell her when romantic-like stuff happened. I break that promise to make another."

"I understand, but this isn't romantic or anything. I mean us coming to an understanding like this, let's leave it here, okay."

"Okay, I'll promise you that, but if she asks me, I'll tell her you hugged me."

"Fair enough." She said, letting go of his shoulder.

He watched he go back to the dorms. Yes, he would definitely have to tell Kim about the hug, especially since being hugged by a woman who looked like Bon-bon had certain involuntary effects on a healthy male body.

"Perhaps now you may have an idea of why she is here, Stoppable-san." Sensei said.

Ron wasn't even startled, though he had not heard the old master approach. "So you brought her here so we could be friends? That's kind of odd." He said, scratching his head.

"Is it? The best way to defeat one's enemy is to make them your friend." He said, clasping his hands together inside the sleeves of his robes.

"Bonnie a friend. A week ago I would never have believed it. It's almost like KP and Shego becoming buds and going shopping together on the weekend."

"Indeed, would that not be a wonder. Stoppable-san, I must ask your permission to do something."

"What's that, Sensei?"

"The power you now control can be a dangerous thing. It can also serve as a magnet for great danger as well."

"I thought it was important that I knew how to control it and all."

"Yes, it was and we have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams, but the time of your destiny is not yet at hand. Until that time you must remain as you have been and grow slowly into the man you are supposed to be."

Ron was confused. "What are you saying, that I need to have the power taken away or something? I thought you couldn't do that."

"In a manner of speaking, yes, that is indeed what I wish to do, with your permission, of course. I cannot take the power away, but I can make you forget how to use it until the time comes when your need is greatest. You would believe that it 'comes and goes' as you have said before, but when the time of your fate arrives, you will remember all you have learned here."

"But you're saying it's important right now that I forget? I don't know, it's been so cool being able to use it when I wanted to."

"I know this and I will understand if you refuse. I will not manipulate you again as I had to before. I am still deeply ashamed for it."

"Okay. I'll let you make me forget or whatever it is you want to do. Just one thing before you do your mystically delete thingy…what's the real reason Bonnie's here? It can't just be so I could make nice with her and I don't see her being here just because she's good at Karate."

"She is here because Hirotaka-san asked me to bring her here. Have you not seen the time the two of them spend together?"

"Uh, actually, I've only seen her around Yori and me."

"They have been discreet." He said sagely.

"Yeah, sure. So, if there's something else going on that you can't tell me, you won't tell me because it's something big I can't understand or something."

His expression remained as impassive as ever.

"Right. Well, let's get this over with. I've got a plane to catch and the world's most bon-diggity girlfriend to go see."

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	37. Part XXXVII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXVII**

* * *

The approaching thunderstorms, visible through the giant, three story tall windows of Middleton International Airport, were making Kim nervous. It wasn't the rain she feared nor the lightning. Now, what made her heart nearly skip a beat was what such storms could do to airplanes They were just the kind of clouds that could produce micro-bursts; sudden, violent downdrafts that could slam a massive jet-liner to the ground like it was nothing but a sheet of aluminum foil. The actual danger of an airplane accidentally crossing into the phenomenon was relieved somewhat when they developed weather radar that could detect wind-shear but it still made it all the more likely the flight would be delayed or worse, diverted to Denver. Maybe the dark clouds only looked ominous to her untrained eye but it had been oddly warm the last week, especially at the end of November that was supposed to be more Winter than Summer in Colorado.

She had been awake now for more than twenty four hours, aching with the thought that by that afternoon her sweetie would come home to her. She went to bed at nine, hoping sleep would claim her and deliver he directly to that day. Instead, despite the mild sleeping pills she had been given, she lay there the whole night with her eyes wide open, picturing over and over what the scene at the airport would be like. She wanted nothing more than to run right up to him as he came through those doors and do everything she could do in public with him (and see what else she could get away with in the bargain.) Only now she was keeping herself wired up with cup after cup of hot black coffee from the overpriced Seattle style shop there at the airport. It took her three tries to convince the barista that all she wanted was plain black coffee. No milk or cream or sugar or flavors or fluffy muck… plain black coffee. After shooting the kid a look, he poured something steaming in her cup and took her money.

Kim said a short blessing in Hebrew that Ron had taught her. She wasn't planning on converting to Ron's religion, no matter how much she loved him and respected it, but the prayer itself seemed appropriate. It was directed at both her father and Rabbi Katz. She didn't know what had possessed her father to seek help with Ron's spiritual leader instead of Pastor Grayson but she was certainly glad he did. Grayson she really didn't know all that well. He had been her Pastor for about two and a half years and in that time she had probably spoken to him at length once. One thing was certain, there was no way in the world she would have opened up to him about her recent ordeal as she had with Gerry Katz.

The dreams were a surprise to her. It was a blessing she could not remember them first thing in the morning but the fact she had been screaming incoherently in her sleep to the point it had awakened her parents bothered her immensely. She ended up speaking to the Rabbi for most of the rest of that afternoon, not so much dwelling on the problem itself but talking about her relationship with Ron, with her parents, her brothers though in the end it did come back to what was troubling her.

What scared her most was the possibility this could affect how she felt about Ron, how she desired him. The very thought of her shrinking from his touch made her heart ache. She didn't want that, she wanted him to touch her. She wanted to touch him.

Kim wanted Ron to kiss away the burning, fouled spot on her neck.

Instead of going straight home from the synagogue, Kim pulled out her battered old Kimmunicator and scrolled through some pre-programmed numbers. She had a particular thought as one number scrolled by but the last time she tried reaching that particular woman it had been an exercise in frustration.

Well, Wade fixed it so she had unlimited minutes and this call would go through his mainframe anyway so all it would cost her was time. She scrolled back to the number and hit dial.

She was shocked when a dark-haired woman with an eye patch appeared instantly on her screen. "Good afternoon, Kim Possible. What can Global Justice do for you today?"

Kim glanced around, licked her bottom lip once and dove right in. "Dr. Director, do you have people your people talk to when they, well, need somebody to talk to after a particularly tough mission?"

Betty Director didn't say another word. She touched a control somewhere out of range of the camera and the ground suddenly dropped out from under Kim's feet. She rolled her eyes slightly at the tube-way carried her into the depths of Middleton, deep into the bedrock where an immense secret complex housing the headquarters of Global Justice sat. With the possible exception of unexpectedly happening to be standing right smack dab on the entrance to one of the transport tubes, the trip didn't bother as much as the first time. Then, she had screamed most of the way down, especially since she had no idea

Moments later it deposited her, not in the main control center but in what looked a lot more like somebody's comfortable living room. If it were not for the lack of real windows and the single tube entrance she would not have known it was part of the underground administration center.

It turned out she said something that amounted to 'the magic words.' Instead of having superiors trying to second guess a request for help, when a subordinate asks for the particular kind of help Kim did, they were required to send them immediately, no questions asked.

The person she spoke to was warm, friendly and very professional. For an organization noted for calling people like Wil Du their top agents, the did manage to employ competent mental health professionals. Without realizing it she spent another three hours speaking very frankly about what had happened to her. The doctor apparently even had a copy of the police report with her though she never even brought up the fact Kim left that very particular detail out when Carrion was arrested.

She left finally feeling somewhat better. The doctor made it a point to play up the fact she had been, in effect, rescued by her boyfriend and partner. It struck her on her way home that she had somehow felt comfortable enough to mention the fact that Ron had magically transported there from Japan. The doctor had only nodded like she already knew about that as well, though that just could have been professional cool.

It also made her smile the woman had not once called Ron her sidekick. It was partner, always partner, unless he was being referred to as her boyfriend. As far as that was concerned, the doctor made it a point that Kim needed to try and do everything she normally would with him, partly to show that what Carrion did to her was not deep or lasting and partly to see if there were other things they would have to explore.

Besides that she was given a prescription for a mild sleeping aid that might help with the dreams and orders to return weekly until such time as the doctor was satisfied. Since Kim considered her relationship with Ron important enough, she agreed. Of course, if she hadn't she was likely to be sucked into a tube transport and brought there anyway.

On the way out she ran into Dr. Director, who was ostensibly prowling the halls of the admin center but was more likely waiting for Kim.

"Thanks for the doctor, Doctor." She said cheerfully, feeling better about herself than she had in days. "Though I don't know how that regulation applies to me since I'm a civilian."

"Yours is a special case, Kim. I view you more as an independent contractor than as a pure civilian, even though we don't pay you. To be honest with you I didn't know whether the rules would apply to you or not, so I simply chose the option that would at least produce a good result even it if proved incorrect in the end."

"So, you're not the least bit curious what I was asking for?"

"No. I'm not supposed to be. Once you asked what you did I sent you right along. I trust what our doctors do. I have to. I can't be second guessing the mental status of every agent or other asset."

"So if I wasn't fit, then you would have already known?" Kim asked.

"Precisely. In fact, considering the work you have done for us and others I'm surprised it took you this long to ask. If you were an agent you would likely be called in front of them soon anyway just to make sure you aren't holding something critical back." Betty Director said in her direct, concise manner.

"I've got some pretty spankin people who've got my back." Kim said. "They didn't let me hold it back."

They stopped in front of a large bank of transport tubes. "That's one of the reasons for your success, Kim." She said, just as the door closed and she whooshed back to the surface.

The thunder was close enough now it was rattling the windows. It wasn't just a distant darkness now, it was all around them. Almost afraid of what she would see, she looked up at the arrival board, scanning for the flight.

"Let's see. 815, Tokyo to Middleton to Sydney. Whew, on time." She read out loud.

"You've waited a month to see your friend, a few more minutes aren't going to kill you." The other member of the school's 'official' delegation welcoming the two students back said.

Kim looked up at the woman, who was gulping down coffee herself, though she had the foresight to bring her own thermos full.

Normally, the parents would be on hand to pick their kids up, especially since Ron was still a minor, just like Kim. Even though Bonnie was eighteen her mother was waiting about fifty feet away from them. That was close enough for Kim. She had enough of the woman when she had been called in to help chaperone a ski trip a couple years earlier. It had been funny watching her rival squirm at first, until she realized just how embarrassing the elder Rockwaller really was.

Since it was Tuesday, Ron's parents made their usual mystery trek to Denver. They weren't overly concerned since he traveled all the time and of course Kim could go to pick him up. There wasn't any problem from her parent's end when permission was asked to take a half day off from class to go pick him up.

That was until Wilma Director stepped in and decided she wanted to be on hand to welcome the two students home. So, instead of heading straight for Mrs. Stoppable's old Pontiac (which was now sitting in the parking lot at school) and then straight for his house for some 'Mission Debriefing.' Instead Kim was driven there in Principal Directors big Chrysler and would have to ride back to the school first, likely having to finish out the day.

"Remember when he gets here, this is a school function, so all the regulations are totally in effect. Keep your PDA…reasonable." She told the teen.

Kim grumbled under her breath something about making Grandparents out of her Mom and Dad right on the concourse. The principal just didn't understand how much she needed to reconnect with him. She needed to have him in her arms, to be in his arms. This wasn't like the time he was away at summer camp. Then he was just her best friend and she missed him horribly. No, this was worse. Ron was still her best friend, but Monique came close in that regard so she wasn't left totally alone this time but she found herself missing him all that much more. He was the love of her life and she had blown past so much of the senseless triviality of teen dating with him. He was 'the one' and she knew it in her heart.

If Wilma Director thought she was going to greet him with a chaste hug and a peck on the cheek, she was sadly mistaken.

"Oceanic flight 815 from Tokyo now debarking, concourse eight." A woman's monotone voice drifted over the intercom. Kim's heart surged. She bolted up out of her seat, her half-cup of poorly made coffee forgotten as she bounded up. It was a large plane, booked to capacity so there were a large number of people waiting for new arrivals right along with her.

This was one of those times she regretted being relatively short.

With only her good leg to hop with she could only manage a couple feet in the air, trying to see over the crowd. She almost screamed when she spotted him. There he was, his dark blonde hair bobbing in and out of the crowd. Finally she was able to get a better look at him as he got in line at Customs.

Kim crossed her arms and shook her head when she realized he was actually carrying Bonnie's suitcases in addition to his own backpack.

She couldn't keep her eyes off of him. They looked at his passport and gave his backpack a cursory once over. Then he stood and patiently waited while Bonnie was checked through. Apparently there were no terrorist watches for a pair of super-Caucasian teenagers, so they sailed right on through.

A little growl escaped her throat when Ron picked Bonnie's suitcases right back up as they entered the rest of the airport. Unhindered, her robustly tanned rival reached her first.

"Hi, K. At least you've got him trained to be a proper gentleman." She said, wearing her usual air of superiority."

Kim was thinking it better be because he's a gentleman and not because you've played him you…

"See you at school tomorrow, Bon-bon." Ron said happily, putting the bags down finally.

"Whatever." She shrugged as she picked them up and headed over to where her mother was waiting.

Kim didn't see her go. She could see one thing and one thing only.

It was a face. Even though, amazingly, he seemed to have grown another inch in the short span of time he had been gone, that face was always the same. The mop of unruly blonde hair the color of Nebraska corn, the wide, almost goofy grin, the smattering of dark freckles that would never fade with age…

…the chocolate brown eyes that were so full of love and so full of hope as he said those words.

"Hi, KP."

She had rehearsed this moment in her mind a hundred times over the last forty-eight hours. She thought she was going to break into a run when he emerged from the plane. He would drop his bags and rush up to meet her and she would jump into his arms for a kiss that would last until the plane had been refueled and set course for its next destination.

Instead she was frozen there in the moment, just looking at his face. It was the face that came to her in the good dreams, the face that danced with her, the face that kissed her, the face that was there when they did other pleasant things that so far existed only in their dreams.

As much as she planned to kiss him, to actually start making out right there in the airport, she found herself simply holding him, crushing him tightly to her as if he would escape from her arms never to be there again. Putting her nose down on his collar, she breathed deeply. He smelled of stale peanuts, airplane air and apparently hadn't had a bath since before he climbed down the mountain from the school (he had described that aspect of the school to her on several occasions.)

She didn't care. He was the most wonderful smelling thing in the world. Later that night she would realize this was the same greeting she had given him when he came home from Wannaweep and from his first trip to Japan.

Ron leaned back, cupped her face gently in both hands and pulled her in for a kiss. It was tender and warm, slow, but powerful. When they finally broke away a fair number of people around them actually applauded.

"Wow." Was all Kim could say.

"If the two of you are through breaking as many policies as you can, then I'd like to get back to the school now, if you don't mind." Principal Director said.

They didn't care. They didn't even care that the quicker they got into her car and got back to the school, the quicker they could transfer his things to his mother's car and the quicker they could be alone.

They didn't care because they were kissing again.

* * *

Kim sat on the edge of Ron's bed, her nerves slowly getting the better of her. She could hear the shower still running and was consciously fighting down the urge to slip out of her peasant shirt and prairie skirt and join him in there. Two things stopped her. One, she knew that if she did that it wouldn't stop there and both Rabbi Katz and the GJ doctor thought that might not be a good idea at that very moment. The other reason was that Ron just spent a month having to share a bath with any number of strangers and would probably like to have a nice, civilized shower alone.

He finally came back into his room, wearing an open bathrobe and a pair of sweat-pants. The band of his boxers was sticking out of the top of the pants.

"That felt almost as good as one of your backrubs." He said, sitting down beside her and kissing her.

The pleasant soapy/steamy smell around him was almost overpowering. Getting into the kiss she started leaning back on the bed with him. It felt so good to be with him again, so good reconnecting. They weren't going to make love, but there were other bases to be considered yet.

Then she stopped.

"Something wrong KP?" He asked, his fingers deftly stroking the small of her back under her blouse.

"I…uh…here, Ron. I want you to do something." She stood up and once he followed, she faced away from him. "Stand behind me right there."

"O…kay." He said, confusion evident in his voice.

She closed her eyes. "I need…I want you to hold my hair aside and kiss me really gently on the right side of my neck."

"Sure, KP." He said. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with what he was about to do so he just shook his head slightly and reached for her hair. He was close enough he could pick up that mix of fragrances that drove him wild. Lavender and the faint scent of that particular soap she used, all mixing with the natural Kim-scent, all lingering there in her hair. A kiss on the neck would be oh, so good, so right.

Kim shuddered as she felt his lips touch her skin. With all her might she concentrated solely on Ron's face, trying desperately to banish that hated false mask that had been the other's face. The shudder became a shiver. She could feel her hair being held aside, she could feel the lips on her, but that other face was still there. The eyes, full of evil and malevolence were there, boring into the back of her head, craving revenge and violence.

This wasn't there when she could see Ron's face, when she kissed him straight on but now that he was behind her, doing something that should be so tender, so right for her, something that should be nothing but an expression of their love.

Involuntarily she stepped away from him. It was just by a few inches, but it was enough to break the contact.

"KP? Kim? Is something wrong?"

His voice brought her back, at least in that moment. She was with the man she loved again. "Do it again, Honey. Please?"

The moment his lips touched her neck the shivering started again. This time he realized it wasn't from pleasure.

"Kim. What is it?" He put a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around.

She crushed herself against him, burying her face in his shoulder, breathing deeply, doing everything she could to remind herself that this was Ron who she was holding. "Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie." She said, stroking the back of his head. "I am so lucky to have you, so lucky that you are my guardian angel."

"Um, sure."

After holding him that way for a long time she sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling him to sit beside her. She turned to face him and took both his hands.

Then she carefully told him about everything that was said and done in the fight with Cary. Ron had only seen someone he knew to be the son of an enemy, about to strike a momentarily helpless Kim. At that moment it had been a fight just like any other. Fortunately his actions turned out to be the right one.

It was just he didn't know how much was actually at stake at that moment.

When she was done, Ron was sitting there on the bed, shaking with his own quiet rage.

"I can't believe I went back to Japan feeling sorry for knocking some of his teeth out." He said when he could finally find his voice. "KP, he needs to pay. I don't care if it means changing your report, that sort of thing gets left out all the time, they'll listen to you."

"No, Ron. It's over. Now that we know who he is, even if he beats the assault charges he can't ever hurt us like that again."

"But, that sort of thing…to you…"

"Honey…baby. Because of you he never got the chance to do anything…except that kiss."

"He kissed you? KP, I know how you feel about kissing and all and…he kissed you?"

"That's what I was doing just now with you. He never kissed me on the lips, thank God, but when he said that…those hateful things he held my hair and kissed my neck."

"And you didn't rip him a new one right then and there?" he asked, incredulously. It was not an accusation toward Kim for not reacting but more of his anger at the whole situation spilling over.

"He had my arm behind my back. When he did that, I threw him over my head. It almost broke my arm, but I was able to get away long enough for you to come help."

Ron stood up. He held his hands out toward Kim. She took them and he pulled her to her feet. Stepping around her, he once again held her hair aside and leaned in close to her neck. "Kim." He whispered. "When I kiss you, I will never, ever be holding you against your will. When I kiss you, when I touch you it's because we desire it, because we love each other. When I kiss you, I'll touch you like this."

His free hand gripped her waist just above her hips as his lips touched her neck again.

Kim shuddered once, then twice but this time she was able to concentrate on the glowing warmth she could feel from his hand. She breathed deeply, still able to catch his scent despite the fresh soapy smell on his recently cleansed body.

The hated face was still there, but it was not alone now. It didn't have the power it once did. It would not be gone that night and it might always be there in one form or another but Ron was right about one thing. She was not being held in pain and violence. She was free. Free to enjoy the kiss of the man who had the right to touch her that way.

Free to turn around and join him in a proper kiss, the frenzied, hungry type of kiss where their tongues fought for supremacy but surrendered to each other at every pass. Her hands drifted down, marveling at how certain muscles were ever firmer than they had been before. She had considered Ron a man from the night he confessed his love for her but his body was finally catching up. He even had a very faint beard now. It didn't show unless you were as close as she was and she would most def make him shave it off very soon but it was clear the last throes of puberty had finally stopped taking its time with him.

Breaking away from him for a moment she went over to his chest of drawers, pulling something out of the top drawer. He watched her with rapt interest.

"Turn around." She said, making a spinning motion with her fingers.

With one quick glance back he did so, facing the window, looking out at the night shrouded landscape.

In a quick motion she pushed her skirt down to the floor and pulled the blouse up over her head, not even bothering with the laces at the throat. She unfolded her bundle and let it slip over her head. She smoothed it against her body and checked herself in his sticker encrusted mirror.

She noted with a sly grin that he hadn't been looking out the window, he had been watching her reflection in the pane. She hoped he liked her pink heart panties and her gray and white cotton sports bra. That's all he was going to be seeing that night.

"What do you think?" She asked sweetly.

Ron turned around, grinning from ear to ear. He'd seen Kim dressed this way before, but he liked it every bit as much as when she wore her tiny little black dress or those tight, low-cut jeans.

Kim was wearing one of his red cream and navy jerseys. It was just long enough to hang like a mini-dress on her.

"Oh, I like, I like." He said, his mouth actually watering.

Kim walked by him and sat down on the bed. She pulled her legs up under her and patted the empty spot beside her. "I think somebody said he needed a backrub."

Ron slipped the robe off and put it on his desk chair, sitting down in the indicated spot.

"Here's the good news, baby." She said, kissing his shoulder rapidly as she pushed him down to his pillow.

"What's that?" He asked as he allowed her to turn him over onto his belly.

Instead of curling up beside him like she normally did for his backrubs, she straddled the small of his back, leaning into his shoulders and tracing his spine down to the band of his pants.

"Your parents told me they're spending the night in Denver tonight." She leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I want you to hold me all night."

"Booyah." He said quietly, his eyes closing as Kim worked her magic on his back.

* * *

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


	38. Part XXXVIII

**_Our Place in the Food Chain_: Part XXXVIII**

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The humid, stormy end of November quickly gave way to an early cold snap that caught most Middletoners off-guard. The late Indian Summer had lulled them into a sense of complacency and everywhere you went you saw somebody out in their shirtsleeves shivering as the cold December winds brought in more seasonable weather. After a few days of that most everyone finally got it in their head it was supposed to be like this and broke out their sweaters, fleeces and coats.

The second week of the month the snows started, turning the landscape a brilliant white. It never fell long enough or heavily enough to create any real problems, it just made everything look nice and wintry. There never was even the hint of closing school for a snow-day. That was reserved for truly catastrophic snowfalls, the likes of which they had not seen (naturally) for a number of years. Three or four inches would fall during the night, the snow-plows would make their rounds and people went on about their business. It snowed often here and they were skilled at dealing with it.

Winter, at least what most people would think of as true winter had come to claim the city, even though the calendar wouldn't let it officially start until the twenty-first. That day came and went with a collective shrug. To most the weather was the season, not when the shortest day of the year fell.

The city almost had a fairytale look about it, gently blanketed almost every other night with a fresh coating of white snow. Where the tracks of children enjoying the winter wonderland had been the day before were now just lines of slight dimples, at least until the sleds, toboggans, trash can lids and other improvised miniature snow vehicles mashed it down, turning most open hillsides into a slick combination of packed snow, mud and bits of shredded grass.

The Winter Solstice was more memorable that year because it was the first day of Winter Vacation from school. They would be out of school clear until the Tuesday after New Years Day which, since it fell on a Sunday, meant they would seemingly have an extra day off. Mister Barkin, of course, went off on an extended rant about how in his day they would have Christmas Day and New Years Day off and that was it. Still, he wished them a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah (which happened to begin at sundown on Christmas Day) Happy Kwanzaa and whatever else they might happen to celebrate during that season.

Nobody took him to task about not being politically correct by mentioning Christmas.

That morning Kim's parents were up bright and early, dressed in their enormous, puffy red goose-down coats (so eighties!) and already had a couple large snowballs rolled up, ready to make their traditional family snowman. Anne Possible smiled as she heard the latch on the front door. Her smile fell when she noted Kim was carrying her sports helmet. She frowned even deeper as she looked down at her left ankle. The brace was gone, though she still wrapped it from time to time. Her doctor had cleared her for normal activities, but as a mother she still worried she might re-injure it, potentially making the damage permanent.

The sight of the helmet also told her something else. She remembered when Kim was fifteen and that crazy weatherwoman used some contraption to create an artificial blizzard that temporarily crippled the city (not to mention creating crazed, zombie snowmen.) Before all the bad stuff happened they tried to set up a family snow day. The only problem was, the kids were getting older. Kim was out the door and away with Ron, even the boys were off on some scheme to cash in by clearing sidewalks with one of their inventions.

The snow covered days of Kim's sixteenth winter had gone much the same.

_Where did the time go?_

Now, here she was again. Seventeen, on the verge of womanhood, with the man who would very likely be with her forever, now only months away from going to college. True, she was going to be going to school right here, but there she would be an adult, not her little girl.

Anne understood all too well how her husband felt about letting go of their little "Kimmie-cub."

"Big day with Ron planned?" She asked, trying to keep the touch of sadness out of her voice.

"Yeah."

"I trust he's bringing a sled and not that awful bike of his." She asked hopefully. At least she was carrying her lightweight sports helmet and not the full-faced motorcycle helmet she preferred.

Kim frowned. "I think the bike has probably seen its last run. The back tire finally gave out and Ron laid it down."

"Oh no! He's alright, isn't he."

"Yeah, he's fine. His leather jacket isn't, but it finally earned its keep. Problem is, he did a lot of damage to the bike. The frame's a little bend, it needs new handlebars and something is hinky in the motor now. The guy at the shop said it was going to cost more to fix than it would cost to find another one like it."

"Ouch." Anne said, secretly happy the 'donor-cycle' would be no more.

"So, Ron's looking at some used cars." Anne could see the beginnings of an honest pout on her daughter's lip. Much as Anne hated motorcycles, Kim had really enjoyed sharing it with Ron.

"Look at it this way, Kimmie-cub. If he has his own car you won't have to keep bumming rides every time it rains. Plus he won't have to borrow that big ugly car of his mother's any more."

Anne looked at her husband, who was utterly clueless as to why the kids actually liked going on dates in the old Pontiac. Maybe it would be good to take his Jaguar out to Logging Camp Road some night and give him a demonstration.

That was about the moment the screaming first reached them. All three looked up in shock until they realized it wasn't screams of terror, but of joy. Ron's sled finally came to a halt at the end of their driveway, the rocket motors that had been installed there two years ago miraculously still working.

"Gotta go, Bye, Mom, Bye Dad, love ya." She said, slipping her helmet on.

James and Anne looked at each other and shook their heads.

_Where did the time go?_

"Hi Doctor's P! How are you two on this bon-diggity first day of Winter Vacation?" He said.

"We're fine, Ronald. You sure you're okay after that spill on your bike?"

Ron took on a mock sad expression. "No, MrDrP. I'll never be the same, my heart has been torn in two. I took the old girl into the back yard last night and buried her alone. Somewhere I though I could even hear somebody blowing taps."

"As long as you're alright." Anne said, lifting the middle section of their snowman.

"Here, MrsDrP, let me do that." Ron said.

"Come on, Ron. Don't you want to hit the park before all the good runs get all slushy?" Kim asked, looking over the hill."

"Not before we help your Mom and Dad build Snowy." He said cheerfully.

Kim stopped herself and looked at her boyfriend, who was valiantly struggling to maneuver the torso ball into place. He was strong enough by far to do this now, but he was having fun with it. Then she saw the looks on her parent's faces and realized exactly what Ron was doing.

She pulled her helmet off and threw it next to his on the sled before joining in, helping her father put the head on it.

"I sure hope this one doesn't come to life and try to destroy the house." Her father said with a smile as he shoved a carrot into the center of the face.

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There was something about snow that made everything quiet and peaceful. It might have been something so simple as the soft piles of frozen precipitation absorbing sound differently though it really didn't matter.

The moon was hidden behind thick clouds and the flurries of early evening had turned into a near blizzard as night fell on Middleton. Despite the lack of light, with everything turned white it was more than bright enough to see as the longest night of the year crept by.

Still, the only light in Ron's treehouse was the faint red glow of the small kerosene heater he had wrestled up there earlier that day. School was out and Kim's curfew was lifted, but they already knew that over the next few days the traditional family events that made up a Possible Family Christmas and a Stoppable Hanukah would take up the lion's share of their time together, so they were making the most of it.

Kim almost got in trouble for the night she spent with Ron when he came home from Japan, but she was specifically honest about what had gone on. She told her father they spent the greater majority of the night talking about everything that had happened to each other and had fallen asleep in each other's arms. That was indeed true enough, though it had been her every intention to sleep that way anyhow. They did spend that night doing more talking than making out.

That wasn't the case tonight. In the morning they would pile into the minivan with Kim's brothers and they would all ride to the airport to pick up not only Kim's Nana but her cousin Joss as well. Then the whole Possible/Stoppable clan would head off to a family-style restaurant for a massive dinner which was certain to last for hours and even more certain to be…interesting given the mischief a pair of hyper twelve-year-olds and an increasingly wild thirteen-year-old could get into.

They had taken two of the special thermal sleeping bags from their mission gear and zipped them together. Considering they were meant as 'mummy' style bags, they looked a little strange, but at least it gave them enough room to huddle tightly together inside. Even so, the only clothing they managed to remove once snuggled into it were their boots, which sat beside the heater, the insides drying out from a little slush that found its way over the tops.

Ron was still doing a better job of keeping Kim warm than that little heater was.

She slipped her mittens off and found the edge of his sweater, pulling it up just slightly so she could pull the tail of his white turtleneck out of his pants. He shivered violently as her icy fingers touched his warm waist. She kept her digits there, letting his body heat warm them back up. His hands had been on her waist for some time though they were already quite warm. Not that she was going to protest in the slightest.

"Think they'll eventually come looking for us out here?" Ron asked between kisses.

"Probably. I'm sure they think it's not safe to be out in the cold like this."

"I'm not cold." He said.

"I'm not either." She wrapped her free hand behind his head and pulled him in for another kiss. Her other hand dipped slightly inside the waistband of his blue winter pants.

"Oooo, your hands are too cold." He said, though he didn't try to stop her plunging fingers.

"Cold hands, warm heart." She said as she kissed him again.

"Gonna see what other parts of you are warm." His hands started traveling up her sides. "Yes, your heart is quite warm." He grinned at her.

In response she gave his butt a light pinch.

"Oh, so you want to play dirty?" He let his voice drift a little towards 'Zorpox.'

Kim wrapped her arms around him and held him close. "I love you Ron."

"I love you too, KP."

"Half a school year left, couple more months after that and we'll be official, legal adults." She gently stroked his clean shaven chin.

"What do you think it's going to be like?" He asked, nuzzling her left ear, the one buried more deeply in her plush red hair.

"What, being adults or what we might be doing then?" She laughed a little, knowing that if either one of them said the word right now, there wouldn't be any such waiting. The temptation was there and it was strong, but she was stronger still.

"I mean being adults. Nobody can boss us around, we won't have Principal Director and Mister Barkin on our case all the time."

"Ron, you have to admit, Barkin has been a lot more positive influence on you than you've admitted. Do you see how proud he is of what you've made of yourself?"

"Yeah, but he still won't let me live down that look I gave him in the ninth grade."

Kim laughed a little bit to herself. The former military man had taken it upon himself to prove to the boy he had potential, potential that may yet be allowed to fully bloom.

"Besides, he can be proud all day long, that doesn't get me into Middleton College." He grumped.

"Actually, it may help. If you can get him to write a letter of recommendation."

"Barkin, giving me one of those? Nah!"

"Why not? If you get into the program there, that means he's succeeded. It'll make him happy, you'll be happy, your parents will be happy…I'll be happy." She kissed him long and hard, holding him tight against her.

"Ronnie, I know it makes me sound weak and like a silly little selfish girl, but I don't want to spend time away from you. That month in Japan was bad enough, especially since they weren't able to really help you with the Monkey Power thing after all. I want to be with you. When we're apart I don't feel complete."

"It doesn't matter, KP. If I don't get in I'll just go to the community college and get some credits that way. I'll get a job and start putting some money away and when I've got enough we'll get a place of our own and we can get married and live happily ever after."

"You think we'll have a Christmas tree in our place?" she asked, stroking his cheek.

"I don't see why not. I've got one here, don't I?" He pointed at the scrawny, two-foot tall plastic tree sitting on a box. It wasn't much to look at since there wasn't anywhere to plug in the lights up here.

"I guess we will, but that's not the plan I have for us. We're both going to college and that's final. I don't care if we have to pull off the same feat we did the end of school last year, we're doing it. I'm not going to school alone to fend off all the boys. I want my boyfriend right there with me." She put her lips closer to his ear. "and I want that boyfriend to be my fiancé by then."

"I could ask you right now." He said.

"No. That's one of those things we're saving for when we're eighteen. Don't be sad, baby, you know I'm going to say yes. I just don't want you to ask me until then."

"So, what exactly is the difference if I know you're going to say yes when I officially ask and knowing now that we're getting married some day? Why not make it official now?"

"Because now it's just between you and me and there are some people I love who just aren't ready for me to be anything more than a girlfriend. Heck, Daddy's had a hard enough time with all this."

"I don't know, he got over you and me pretty quick."

"Oh, let him catch us like this…" She gave his butt a quick squeeze, "…and you'll probably be fitted for a space-suit by morning."

"KP, I think your Dad's let go of a lot of his letting go issues."

She held Ron close. He was right, of course and it all had to do with him. Of all the young men in the world she had the fortune of falling in love with the one her father loved and trusted most.

Carefully she unzipped the front of her jacket, then unbuttoned her outer sweater. She did the same to Ron's jacket. It was warm enough in the sleeping bag now, especially as they pooled their warmth.

Later she dozed off, her arms wrapped around his warm torso. He hands weren't the least bit cold any more.

The dreams claimed her.

She was in Ron's arms. They were alone, dancing to music she knew was there but just couldn't quite make out.

This time there were no other girls dancing with him. Tara was gone, Zita was gone. Even Yori's dream-phantom had disappeared. She was dancing with Ron, her Ron and she would dance with no other.

Her dream eyes closed and she lost herself in the rhythm of their two hearts beating together.

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**The End**

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_Coming Soon: Senior Year Part 2: **Where Did the Time Go?**_

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Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney 


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